Lakers legend Magic Johnson, who has HIV, denied that he donated blood to COVID-19 patients last week.
“I’m aware of the false story circling the internet and to be clear, I have never donated blood,” Johnson tweeted on Tuesday.
Johnson addressed the matter after a since-deleted viral Twitter photo of the 63-year-old alleged he “donated some of his blood to the Red Cross to help underprivileged communities help fight COVID-19.”
The image — which was posted by a “satire” Twitter account on Aug. 18 — featured a smiling Johnson with his right arm outstretched, with a medical needle in his arm. The bio of the Twitter account even states: “spreading narratives with misinformation (satire).”
The photo of Johnson is real, according to the Associated Press, but it originates from a 2012 documentary produced by PBS Frontline called “Endgame: AIDS in Black America.” The photo, which was also posted online by NPR in 2012, comes from a scene in which Johnson had his blood drawn at a doctor’s appointment by his longtime physician, Dr. David Ho.
The Red Cross does not accept blood donations from anyone who has had a positive HIV test.
Johnson initially announced his HIV diagnosis in a live press conference in 1991, revealing then that he was immediately retiring from the NBA. He first learned about the diagnosis after a routine physical that year.
Johnson — who led the Lakers to five NBA championships and won three Finals MVPs — returned to the league two more times before retiring for good in 1996.
The NBA icon has since become an advocate for HIV awareness, treatment and prevention methods through his Magic Johnson Foundation.