Interview clip of actor Hamza Ali Abbasi admitting his homosexuality

Rating Justification

The iVerify Pakistan team investigated this content and determined that it is false.

To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan listened to the original interview of actor Hamza Ali Abbasi with anchor Shahzad Iqbal.

Posts from multiple PML-N supporters on social media platform X since December 18, 2024, shared an interview clip of Abbasi, claiming it showed him admitting to his homosexuality. However, the clip was edited and did not show his full response.

In 2018, Reham Khan, the former wife of ex-prime minister Imran Khan, made controversial claims in her eponymous book, revealing instances of sexual coercion or favours, including some that directly related to the PTI founder. The actor was also mentioned in the book.

The recent posts about the actor came amid another wave of claims against PTI leader Shahbaz Gill that he allegedly defended homosexuality by calling the opponents of US official Richard Grenell “ignorant”. Those claims were debunked as being false here.

HOW IT STARTED

On December 18, an X user, seemingly a PML-N supporter based on their previous posts, shared a video showing Reham talking about the allegations in her book.

The video then transitioned to a clip of Abbasi’s interview on Samaa TV programme ‘Awaz’.

The caption of the post read: “Under the guise of change, homosexuality is on the rise … Hey PTI supporters, don’t ruin your afterlife for the sake of an addict.”

The post gained 26,900 views. In the clip, the host asked the actor that allegations of homosexuality were made against him and the PTI founder to which Abbasi said: “Yes, primarily they were against Imran Khan and it was later implied that that is why he favoured us pretty boys like Hamza Ali Abbasi and Murad Saeed because he has such intentions. I don’t know how you will phrase this.”

To this, the host said he did not know whether to ask for a confirmation or a denunciation of the allegations to which Abbasi said: “You are right. I am confirming this. I am just saying that I can’t find the words to tell … but basically, we are all homosexuals.”

Shares of the video with similar claims by two other PML-N supporters, as seen here and here, racked up over 27,000 combined views.

Other PML-N supporters also widely shared the video and claim as can be seen here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality, keen public interest in the actor’s life due to his popularity and Abbasi allegedly openly admitting his sexual orientation which goes against the laws of the country as well as its conservative social and cultural norms.

A keyword search of “Hamza Ali Abbasi” and “Shahzad Iqbal” yielded the complete interview on Samaa TV‘s YouTube account, dated June 5, 2018.

The portion in the viral clip begins at the 26:09-minute mark of the 45-minute interview.

The transcript of Abbasi’s response, at the point where the host asks him to confirm or reject the allegations, where the viral clip ends is reproduced below:

Abbasi: “You are right. I am confirming this. I am just saying that I can’t find the words to tell but you are right, the accusation is that basically, we are all homosexuals.”

Comparing the transcripts from the viral clip and the original interview clearly shows that a portion of Abbasi’s response, from 26:42 to 26:43, was cut out, omitting context where he said, “You are right, the accusation is”.

The edit was made in a way to show that he was admitting to being gay when he actually was referring to the allegations against him and clarifying that they were indeed about his sexual orientation.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim that an interview clip shows actor Hamza Ali Abbasi admitting to being gay is false.

The actor made no such admission in his interview and the portion being circulated in the viral clip has been edited and cut to omit the portion which clearly shows he is referring to the nature of the allegations against and affirming that they were indeed about his sexual orientation.

Evidence and References

June 5, 2024, Samaa TV video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJUfXLFiyoM&ab_channel=SAMAATV