What happened

Fabricated to look like a legitimate E! News segment, the video named stars such as Angelina Jolie, Ben Stiller, and Orlando Bloom as alleged recipients of USAID funds for their visits to Ukraine. 

The video was quickly amplified on social media platforms, including by high-profile figures like Elon Musk and Donald Trump Jr., before being debunked by fact-checkers and media outlets. 

The spread of the disinformation has contributed to a surge in conspiracy theories and negative sentiment toward USAID, coinciding with political moves to dismantle or significantly reduce the agency’s operations. 

The incident led to confusion among the public, undermined trust in U.S. foreign aid, and fueled partisan attacks on the agency.

Why it happened

The video was part of a broader Russian government-linked disinformation campaign dubbed Operation Overlord, also referred to as Storm-1679 and Matryoshka. 

The campaign uses AI-generated content and coordinated bot networks to spread misleading narratives targeting Western institutions, particularly those supporting Ukraine. 

The goal is to erode support for Ukraine, sow distrust in democratic processes, and influence U.S. domestic politics by exploiting existing skepticism about foreign aid.