A viral video purportedly showing a woman tearing a wing mirror off a van after being catcalled in London has been called into question, with evidence suggesting it may have been staged. The footage, widely shared on Wednesday by outlets including the Sun, the Mirror, and MailOnline, depicts a cyclist confronting a van of men before ripping off the mirror.
A witness, builder Scott Deane, told the Sun he saw a blonde man giving instructions to the woman and three men in orange site clothes, indicating the scene was orchestrated. The video was uploaded by Viral Thread, owned by Jungle Creations, which denied creating it but could not verify its authenticity. The company offered to license the video to news outlets for fees up to £400.
Jungle Creations declined to provide an unblurred version for verification or to connect the Guardian with the filmer. The video has since been removed from Viral Thread's Facebook and YouTube pages. This incident highlights how unverified viral content can spread rapidly through major news platforms, echoing concerns over fake news in the digital age.
