FACT CHECK: No, Ben Stiller Wasn’t Paid $4 Million To Take Photos With Zelensky

A post shared on X claims actor Ben Stiller was paid $4 million to take photos with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ben Stiller was paid $4 million by USAID to take these photos w/ Zelensky pic.twitter.com/VRwu8d1qmA

— TruthHammer4EVA (@TruthHammer4EVA) February 5, 2025

Verdict: False

There is no evidence Stiller was paid $4 million by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to take photos with Zelensky.

Fact Check:

Social media users are claiming that Stiller was paid $4 million to take photos with the Ukrainian president. One user wrote,”Ben Stiller was paid $4 million by USAID to take these photos w/ Zelensky.”

This claim is false. There is no evidence that Stiller was paid $4 million by USAID. Check Your Fact could not find any media outlets reporting this. The claim originates from a fake video, according to BBC Verify reporter Shayan Sardarizadeh.

This viral thread by a QAnon promoter has over 10 million views, huge engagenemt and no community note.

But it’s total nonsense. The thread is copied from a fake E! News video created by a Russian influence operation that imitates major news outlets to disparage Ukraine. https://t.co/9zjCfS7K4U

— Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) February 6, 2025

“This viral thread by a QAnon promoter has over 10 million views, huge engagenemt and no community note. But it’s total nonsense. The thread is copied from a fake E! News video created by a Russian influence operation that imitates major news outlets to disparage Ukraine,” Sardarizadeh tweeted.

Stiller himself denied the claim in a Feb. 5 tweet. (RELATED: Did Trump Sign An Executive Order Stopping All New Funds To The UNRWA?)

These are lies coming from Russian media. I completely self-funded my humanitarian trip to Ukraine. There was no funding from USAID and certainly no payment of any kind.

💯 percent false. https://t.co/EFBPmrFQJ6

— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) February 5, 2025

“These are lies coming from Russian media. I completely self-funded my humanitarian trip to Ukraine. There was no funding from USAID and certainly no payment of any kind. [100] percent false,” Stiller’s tweet reads.