Fake BBC News clip makes false claims about Kamala Harris' husband and puberty blockers

Context

A clip impersonating BBC News is circulating on X (formerly Twitter), claiming that Kamala Harris' husband, Douglas Emhoff, "is associated with the largest manufacturer of puberty blockers for children - AbbVie." It also alleges that Emhoff's immediate family owns shares in the pharmaceutical company.

The video has already been viewed by over 428,000 users and shared more than 2,000 times.

However, the post is fake. The video purporting to present this news story was not produced by BBC News, and there is also no evidence to support the claims made in the altered video.

In fact

Logically Facts contacted BBC News to verify whether they had produced the video. "I can confirm this is not BBC reporting," a BBC Communications Manager told us. 

The video shows discrepancies from authentic BBC content, including a slightly modified logo and slower transitions between sections. There are no records in the BBC archives that connect Kamala Harris, her husband, or his family to puberty blockers.

No public information exists linking Doug Emhoff or his family to the pharmaceutical company AbbVie. A review of AbbVie's shareholders suggests that his family does not own any shares in the company. We have also contacted AbbVie for comment but have not yet received a response.

Emhoff has faced scrutiny due to his previous legal work with major corporate clients, including the pharmaceutical company Merck, while he was employed at firms like Venable LLP. While his work with Merck primarily focused on intellectual property matters, online users have made unfounded allegations about potential influences on Kamala Harris's healthcare and pharmaceutical policy decisions. There is no evidence that his prior involvement with Merck or other corporations has had any impact on the Biden administration's policy decisions. Emhoff resigned from his position as a lawyer in 2020 to assume his role as Second Gentleman.

Kamala Harris has also been falsely linked to claims about puberty blockers, partly because of her response to a 2019 American Civil Liberties Union questionnaire. In it, she supported using taxpayer funds for gender-affirming care for transgender and nonbinary individuals. This statement resurfaced with misinformation suggesting she had a financial interest in promoting puberty blockers for children. Harris' campaign clarified that the questionnaire does not reflect her current platform.

Verdict

The video alleging a link between Kamala Harris' husband's family and a pharmaceutical company that makes puberty blockers is fake and was not produced by BBC News. There is no evidence of any link between his family and the company.