Chuck Norris issued a statement Tuesday denying that he participated in last week’s deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol after a photo of a lookalike in the crowd went viral on social media.
The image of the celebrity body-double was posted by Trump supporter Matthew Bledsoe, who posed with the man in the crowd ahead of the security breach, reports said.
Adding to the confusion, Bledsoe also wrote “Chuck Norris” in large white letters across the top of the photo.
Norris went on Instagram and Twitter late Tuesday to put the rumors to rest.
“It has come to my attention that unfortunately there was a Chuck Norris lookalike at the DC Capitol riots on January 6th,” the actor wrote. “It wasn’t me and I wasn’t there. Let me be clear that there is no room for violence of any kind in our society, including in the context of political protests.”
“A peaceful transition of power is fundamental to our democratic system of government,” Norris continued. “I am and always will be for Law and Order. Your friend, Chuck Norris.”
Earlier in the day, the 80-year-old actor’s publicist Erik Kritzer issued a statement to the media saying: “This is not Chuck Norris and is a wannabe look-alike although Chuck is much more handsome.”
A few sleuths were also quick to realize the mystery man in the social media was too young to be Norris.
Last week, the lead singer of the alternative band Jamiroquai, Jay Kay, was also forced to go on social media to deny that he was the man seen wearing the buffalo-horned headdress at the U.S. Capitol. Twitter sleuths were first to notice the 51-year-old’s apparent resemblance to Jake Angeli, but the “Virtual Insanity” singer assured fans it wasn’t him.
Norris, meanwhile, is reportedly a longtime Republican who endorsed President Donald Trump in 2016. Notably, however, he did not publicly endorse a candidate in 2020.
Norris, a black belt martial artist, played the karate-kicking title character on the show “Walker, Texas Ranger” from 1993 to 2001. Norris also appeared in dozens of tough-guy films throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including his 1972 debut “Return of the Dragon,” in which Norris finds himself in a death match with the legendary Bruce Lee.
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