The Claim That Spread Online
In early May 2024, a paid Facebook advertisement began circulating with dramatic headlines claiming that Steve Harvey had been “abruptly fired” from Family Feud after an on-air mistake during an interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The ad used emotional language such as:
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“Tensions erupt after his on-air slip-up”
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“Steve Harvey fired after shocking confession”
It also claimed he was leaving the show after nearly 14 years.
➡️ None of this was true.
What the Ad Actually Led To
People who clicked the Facebook ad were not taken to a real news outlet. Instead, they were redirected to a fake CNN-style website hosted on pastadibern.pro — not the official CNN domain.
The fake headline read:
“Steve Harvey Fired from ‘Family Feud’ After Shocking On-Air Confession to Oprah Winfrey”
The website copied CNN’s branding, layout, and writing style to appear legitimate — a classic phishing and scam tactic.
The Invented Interview That Never Happened
The fake article claimed that:
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Harvey went “off-script” during an interview with Oprah
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He discussed erectile dysfunction (ED)
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Oprah was offended and demanded his firing
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ABC executives allegedly acted immediately
In reality:
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No such interview occurred
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Oprah had not recently interviewed Steve Harvey
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There was no public conflict, backlash, or disciplinary action
ABC never issued any statement resembling what the article claimed.
The Fake Quotes and Fabricated Characters
The scam article falsely quoted:
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A made-up statement from an ABC executive
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Fake comments attributed to Oprah
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Reactions from Harvey’s wife, Marjorie
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Commentary from Dr. Phil McGraw
None of these people made the statements shown.
It also embedded a fake post from X (Twitter) pretending to come from Harvey’s verified account @IAmSteveHarvey — a post that never existed and was never archived anywhere online.
The Real Goal: Selling Fake CBD Products
The core purpose of the hoax was not celebrity gossip — it was financial fraud.
The story suddenly pivoted to claiming that:
“Canna Labs CBD Gummies helped me.”
This was designed to trick readers into buying a non-verified CBD supplement.
Key facts:
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Steve Harvey has never endorsed CBD gummies
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He has never promoted Canna Labs
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Searches for the product mostly lead to fake articles, cloned websites, and AI-generated videos
This is part of a widespread celebrity-endorsement scam.
A Recycled Scam With a Long History
This exact tactic has been used for years.
The same CBD scam format has falsely involved:
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Oprah Winfrey
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Mayim Bialik
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Other game show hosts and celebrities
The Steve Harvey version was already debunked in 2022 by Snopes, and it continues to resurface with minor wording changes.
The Bottom Line (What’s Actually True)
✔ Steve Harvey was not fired
✔ He still hosts Family Feud
✔ No interview with Oprah caused controversy
✔ ABC made no disciplinary announcement
✔ The CNN article was completely fake
✔ The CBD product endorsement was a scam
Why These Stories Keep Fooling People
These scams work because they:
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Use trusted celebrity faces
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Imitate well-known news outlets
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Exploit health concerns
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Trigger emotional reactions before logic
If a story pushes you to buy something urgently, especially using celebrity drama — it’s almost always a red flag.
If you want, I can also:
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Break down how to spot fake news ads instantly
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Show real screenshots vs fake ones
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Or summarize this into a short fact-check post for social media
