Arnel Pineda addresses claims he was sentenced to life imprisonment
Singer-songwriter Arnel Pineda has quashed rumors that he was sentenced to life imprisonment in the US.
Videos circulating on Youtube claimed the Journey lead vocalist was convicted by a court in San Francisco, California and punished with life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
The video, titled "Arnel Pineda From Journey Sentenced To Life Imprisonment," used the logo of American news outlet Fox News in its thumbnail, deceiving viewers. However, upon a quick search, Fox News has not reported any information regarding Pineda's supposed conviction.
Amid the rumors, Pineda took to his Instagram page to post a video of himself enjoying the setting sun in Manila.
A few of his followers then tried to bring to his attention the false claims being spread on YouTube in the comments section.
"Hello po, I just watched the YouTube video saying that you were sentenced to life imprisonment here in the United States? I feel so sad, I am your avid fan... hope everything is okay with you," one user commented.
Another one said, "Good to hear from you... I also came across one YouTube video about you being sentenced to life imprisonment... I looked it up [in the news] but I couldn't find any. Glad you're okay, bro!"
Responding to one of the commenters who asked whether his conviction was true, Pineda subtly dismissed the claims as fake, saying, "Well, I'm somewhere nice and the sentence was in [San Francisco]... do the math."
In a separate response, he said, "We live in a twisted world these days.. but let us all keep the faith. Light always [triumphs] over darkness."
The claims were further dismissed by one of the singer's close friends, Jenni Munar, who took to her Facebook page to warn others against spreading fake news about Pineda.
"To everyone inquiring about our brother Arnel Pineda, we want to clarify that the news circulating on social media platforms, particularly YouTube and Facebook, is false. He is currently in Manila, enjoying quality time with his kids and preparing for his upcoming tour with Journey," she wrote.
"We take this matter seriously. If you are spreading misinformation, please be advised that we will hold you accountable. We strongly urge you to remove any false content or be prepared to face legal consequences," she added.
Pineda previously made headlines after he offered to leave Journey due to a lackluster performance at the Rock in Rio Festival in Brazil in 2024. He has since assured fans that his journey with the band will continue.
