FACT CHECK: Fake Image Of Luigi Mangione In “Sailor Moon” Costume Shared Online

An image shared on X allegedly shows Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, in a costume of a character from manga and anime series “Sailor Moon.”

Verdict: False

The image has been digitally altered.

Fact Check: 

Mangione has been charged with the murder of Thompson after an employee called in a tip in a Pennsylvania McDonald’s where Mangione was eating, according to The Independent. He is being held in a Pennsylvania jail without bond after a manhunt that lasted almost a week, the outlet reported.

An X image appears to show Mangione wearing a costume from “Sailor Moon.” It has the text “fighting evil by moonlight,” which are lyrics from the show’s English opening.

This is not a genuine photo, however. It has been edited from Mangione’s profile picture on X in which he is wearing a black suit instead of the costume. The unedited image is also used for his LinkedIn profile picture. Mangione’s arms in the costumed picture may have been edited from a picture of himself shirtless shown in his X banner. 

Snopes also debunked this claim. (RELATED: Can Joe Biden Pardon Luigi Mangione?)

Mangione visited Japan a few times this year and “loves Japan,” but he also stated he felt there was a “lack of free will” there, according to NBC News. He made a lengthy X post suggesting that part of the solution to Japan’s falling birth rate would be to “revitalize traditional Japanese culture (Shintoism, Okinawan karate, onsen, etc).”

Modern Japanese urban environment is an evolutionary mismatch for the human animal.

The solution to falling birthdates isn’t immigration. It’s cultural.

Encourage natural human interaction, sex, physical fitness and spirituality:
* ban Tenga fleshlights and “Japan Real Hole”… https://t.co/3OaJLJPwpX

— Luigi Mangione (@PepMangione) April 18, 2024

Mangione has been the center of much misinformation since his arrest. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim a viral X post showed a photo of his fake ID.