Which celebrities and politicians were targeted by QAnon adrenochrome conspiracy theories?
Executive summary
QAnon’s adrenochrome myth cast a wide net that repeatedly accused Hollywood stars, music moguls and prominent politicians of trafficking and blood-harvesting crimes — claims repeatedly debunked by fact‑checkers as baseless and rooted in older blood‑libel tropes [1] [2] [3]. Reporting shows a clear pattern: entertainers such as Tom Hanks and Chrissy Teigen and mainstream politicians from the Clintons to Adam Schiff were named alongside billionaires like George Soros and the Rothschilds, even as platforms and investigators documented the conspiracy’s viral distortions [4] [1] [5].
1. The celebrities repeatedly named by QAnon adherents
QAnon and related Pizzagate offshoots repeatedly singled out Hollywood and music‑industry figures — Tom Hanks and Chrissy Teigen are explicitly listed in long circulating Q datasets and coverage [4], while other viral posts have accused names as varied as Dwayne Johnson, Steven Spielberg and Bruce Willis of participating in child torture and adrenochrome use, claims debunked by fact‑checkers [2] [6]. Coverage also highlights Lady Gaga being dragged into lists after pandemic advocacy, and even more fringe accusations have targeted figures such as Diddy in social media rumor mills, though those specific claims are likewise fact‑checked and unsubstantiated [4] [7] [6].
2. Political figures and “globalist” moguls on Q’s hit lists
The conspiracy’s political targets tend to be mainstream Democratic politicians and reputed “globalists”: reporting documents recurrent allegations against the Clintons, Adam Schiff and the Obamas, while billionaire financiers like George Soros and the Rothschild family are frequently invoked as shadowy beneficiaries of the supposed scheme [4] [1]. Internationally, Q‑inspired plots and threats have also named leaders such as Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau in on‑the‑ground incidents tied to the rumor’s spread [8].
3. How the accusations spread and who amplified them
The adrenochrome narrative migrated from Pizzagate into QAnon’s broader ecosystem, amplified by social posts, livestream chats and conspiracy channels that repackaged movie scenes, celebrity social posts and pandemic footage as “evidence,” producing viral lists and arrest/execution fantasies circulated in fringe forums and mainstream comment streams [5] [4] [2]. Platforms’ varying enforcement created pockets where claims such as a “Monsters, Inc.” reading or celebrity lockdown videos were treated as corroboration by believers despite no evidentiary basis [5] [4].
4. The antisemitic and historical DNA behind the claims
Journalists and researchers trace the adrenochrome myth to long‑standing blood‑libel tropes and modern conspiracy syncretism: reporting links the targeting of prominent Jewish philanthropists (for example Soros and references to the Rothschilds) to centuries‑old antisemitic narratives that Q adherents repurposed for the digital age [1] [5]. Wired and mainstream fact checks emphasize that the conspiracy’s language and choice of “globalist” villains often mask or recycle explicit bigotry even as it cloaks itself in contemporary political grievances [5] [1].
5. The factual record: what reporting and fact‑checks say
Multiple fact‑checks and scientific summaries make the core point that adrenochrome is a known chemical with no evidence supporting the fantastical claims about harvesting, psychedelic immortality or a global child‑trafficking cabal; outlets explicitly label the allegations about named celebrities and politicians as false and without evidence [1] [2] [6] [3]. Wired and other investigative pieces document how such falsehoods circulated and produced real‑world harms — from harassment to violent incidents inspired by the conspiratorial claims [5] [8].
6. Why certain figures are repeatedly accused — narrative convenience and political utility
The selection of targets follows predictable lines: high‑visibility entertainers and elite politicians whose public profiles can be reframed as “evidence,” plus wealthy financiers who fit a preexisting “globalist” enemy template; this makes both sensational content for online audiences and a political tool to delegitimize opponents, a dynamic scholars and reporters have documented in Q‑coverage [4] [5]. Reporting also shows that the conspiracy’s modular nature allows it to absorb new celebrities or politicians into its roster as viral posts or partisan incentives arise, which explains recurring but changing lists [5] [2].