Captain America star Chris Evans has clarified he did not autograph an Israeli bomb in 2016.
A picture of Evans from eight years ago seemingly signing a bomb recently resurfaced and went viral on the internet, with a section of users claiming it was Israeli in origin.
Israel’s recent offensive in Rafah in southern Gaza that killed dozens of civilians has come in for widespread condemnation on social media and beyond.
Posting a statement on Instagram Stories, Evans clarified that the photo was taken during a United Service Organization (USO) tour in Turkey in December, 2016. He said that the object he signed was a mockup used for training purposes of US troops and not actual weaponry.
He also posted an AFP story fact-checking the photo.
Evans wrote: “There’s a lot of misinformation surrounding this picture. Some clarification: This image was taken during a USO tour in 2016.
“I went with a group of actors, athletes and musicians to show appreciation for our service members. The object I was asked to sign is not a bomb, or a missile, or a weapon of any kind.
“It’s an inert object used for training or display purposes only,” the actor added.
