How have major news organizations fact-checked the claim that Ashley showered with Joe Biden?
Executive summary
Major fact-checkers report that a leaked diary attributed to Ashley Biden includes the line “showers w/my dad (probably not appropriate),” and Snopes revised its earlier view to say the diary’s existence and that passage are supported by Ashley Biden’s court letter, changing its rating to “True” on April 29, 2024 [1]. Other outlets have noted that some more explicit social‑media quotations tied to the diary do not appear in the published pages; Snopes found the specific viral quote “I [am] so afraid of him coming in the shower…” is not in the document [2].
1. How major fact‑checkers framed the core passage
Snopes’ reporting concluded that the diary contains a line in which Ashley Biden wrote “showers w/my dad (probably not appropriate),” and Snopes changed its earlier “Unproven” rating to “True” after publishing a letter from Ashley Biden used in court proceedings that the site said authenticated the diary’s contents [1]. Yahoo’s fact‑check, relying on Snopes’ work and other reporting, repeated that the diary describes showers taken with her father as “probably not appropriate” [3]. PolitiFact’s earlier coverage cautioned against treating law‑enforcement statements about a theft investigation as confirmation of specific diary contents, noting the FBI did not confirm contents nor name Ashley Biden in its announcement [4].
2. What fact‑checkers disputed or clarified about viral quotes
Fact‑checkers flagged a pattern: salacious memes and social posts amplified lines not actually in the published diary. Snopes explicitly said the widely shared sentence “I [am] so afraid of him coming in the shower with me that I’ve waited until late at night to take a shower” does not appear in the 112‑page PDF of the diary that it reviewed [2]. That demonstrates a split between what the verified pages contain and what social media users were circulating as quotes [2].
3. Why Snopes changed its assessment and why critics noticed it
Snopes initially described strong evidence for the diary’s existence but stopped short of full authentication; the site later revised its conclusion after Ashley Biden’s court letter was published and cited as corroboration. Snopes’ own timeline shows the fact‑check rating was switched from “Unproven” to “True” on April 29, 2024, a move that critics and right‑leaning outlets seized on as a “flip‑flop” highlighting perceived media bias [5] [1] [6]. The change rests, per Snopes, on the added primary-source material — the letter from Ashley Biden in court filings — not on the provenance of every image or page that circulated earlier [1].
4. Legal and provenance context fact‑checkers emphasize
Reporting and fact checks stress provenance issues: the diary pages were widely circulated after they were stolen and sold, and two Florida residents pleaded guilty in a scheme to sell the diary — facts cited by multiple outlets as background on how the material entered the public sphere [5] [3]. PolitiFact warned that FBI statements about a theft case should not be read as content confirmation; fact‑checkers distinguish confirmation that a diary exists and was circulated from independent forensic authentication of every published image [4] [5].
5. Where reporting agrees and where it diverges
Fact‑checkers largely agree the diary contains a line indicating Ashley Biden recalled showers with her father and described them as “probably not appropriate,” and that Ashley Biden’s own court letter strengthened the case that the diary is real [1] [3]. They diverge over online extrapolations: Snopes and others say specific, more graphic quotes being shared on social platforms are not found in the released pages and that some posts misquote or embellish the text [2].
6. Limitations, open questions and competing narratives
Available sources do not mention independent forensic reports that authenticate every published photo or page beyond Ashley Biden’s court letter and the criminal prosecutions of people who stole and sold the diary [5] [1]. Critics argue fact‑check “reversals” reflect shifting politics; defenders say inclusion of Ashley’s own courtroom writings legitimately changed the evidentiary picture [6] [1]. PolitiFact’s earlier caution shows that official investigations into the theft were often misread as content confirmation [4].
7. Bottom line for readers
Established fact‑checkers report the diary includes the “probably not appropriate” shower line and that Ashley Biden’s court letter played a decisive role in authentication decisions [1]. Fact‑checkers also warn readers that viral posts have frequently added or invented more explicit lines that do not appear in the published diary pages [2]. For any further claim about other specific quotations or forensic provenance, available sources do not mention independent lab authentication beyond the documents cited above [5] [1].