The 6 weirdest conspiracy theories invented this year

In 2021, lawmakers, QAnon devotees, online terminals and many more have concocted or helped disseminate many conspiracy theories.

Ranging from the weird to the unproven, there are plenty of people who have invented conspiracy theories to explain some of the major events that have happened this year.

So to help you understand everything, News week brings you some of the weirdest conspiracy theories that have emerged over the past year:

Antifa and left-wing activists were behind the January 6 riot on Capitol Hill

After hundreds of supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol, GOP lawmakers and conservative activists propagated conspiracy theories that Black Lives Matter or Antifa were behind the attack.

Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) put forward the theory, adding, “I don’t know if the reports are true, but The Washington Times just reported some pretty compelling evidence from a facial recognition company that some of the people who raped the Capitol today were not Trump supporters – they were posing as Trump supporters and, in fact, were members of the violent terrorist group Antifa. “

Despite the lack of evidence to support these claims, a poll in September this year showed that 61% of Republicans placed great responsibility on the attack on left-wing activists.

Travis Scott’s Astroworld deaths were a “blood sacrifice”

False claims the tragic deaths of eight attendees at Travis Scott’s event at NRG Park Stadium in Houston, Texas, was part of a blood sacrifice that quickly spread online in the aftermath of the disaster.

Supporters of the unfounded theory justified their claims because the stage was designed to resemble the fiery gates of hell, and participants entered the festival through a giant sculpture of Scott’s mouth, which was compared to the famous painting “The Christ in Limbo “by Hieronymus Bosch which depicts the” mouth of hell “.

Multiple lawsuits have been filed against Scott over the Astroworld tragedy, many of which cite “negligence”.

Scott has denied the allegations made against him in the multiple lawsuits.

Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial had a gag order

A conspiracy theory claimed members of the press were barred from entering the courtroom during Ghislaine Maxwell’s sexual abuse trial.

Social media users shared posts in which they claimed that a gag order had been enforced and that Maxwell was somehow protected.

UFC fighter Tim Kennedy said in a message on Twitter: “Break: ‘Ghislaine Maxwell trial judge issues media-wide gagging order: all press and spectators are barred from the courtroom. ‘ We know who they are protecting and we cannot allow it. “

One rationale for the conspiracy theory was that the nature of the proceedings, unlike the Kyle Rittenhouse trial, meant that cameras were prohibited in the courtroom.

But this is due to Federal Criminal Procedure Rule 53, which states that cameras are prohibited in all federal trials.

But, the idea of ​​the gag order was quickly refuted, as details emerged from the lawsuit and Maxwell would later be found guilty of aiding billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein in sexually abusing young girls.

Keith Richards is JFK

One of the weirdest conspiracy theories this year was that Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards was, in fact, President John F. Kennedy.

Members of a QAnon cult in Dallas made this easily refutable claim after believing JFK Jr. would reveal himself at Dealey Plaza earlier this year.

Once the predicted event did not materialize, due to decades of JFK Jr.’s death, QAnon supporters said JFK and his son would reveal themselves at a Rolling Stones concert in Dallas. Cotton Bowl Stadium.

QAnon followers shared photos and messages from inside the stadium and were convinced that Richards, born in Dartford, south-eastern England in 1943, was in fact the 35th President of the United States.

A user with over 1,000 Telegram subscribers wrote of the concert: “Yes, Keith Richards is totally [JFK] Sr. This whole event is coded for JFK. The arrival.”

Humans lived on Mars, but were later destroyed in nuclear war

A blatantly bogus conspiracy theory that humans once lived on Mars, but later made it uninhabitable as a result of nuclear war went viral on TikTok earlier this year.

The video, shared by user crackheadjoedirt, was an answer to the question “what is a conspiracy theory that blows you up” from another TikTok account holder.

Crackheadjoedirt said in the clip: “My theory is that we came from Mars after emptying all of its natural resources and destroying them with nuclear bombs.”

Brian Laundrie was hiding under the parents’ flower bed

The tragic case of Gabby Petito, 22, gained international traction as internet sleuths tried to piece together what had happened to the young travel vlogger.

When Petito’s remains were found in a Wyoming national forest earlier this year, attention turned to her boyfriend Brian Laundrie, 23.

These same Internet sleuths came up with a conspiracy theory that Laundrie was somehow hiding in the backyard.

A user posting as kmiller480 shared a clip on TikTok that sowed the seeds of the plot, writing: “Chris Laundrie agrees to help find his son, Brian. Meanwhile, Roberta Laundrie is busy as still in the garden. Has the FBI checked the garden? “

The video, which has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times, is no longer available on TikTok.

Brian Laundrie’s skeletal remains were found on October 20 and his death was ruled as suicide.