How a conspiracy theory became a viral meme

A conspiracy theory about Beyoncé's alleged kidnapping of Sia went viral and Twitter users turned it into a meme.

The “Beyoncé kidnapped me” meme comes from a photoshopped tweet that falsely claimed that Sia had posted a cryptic message in which the first letter of each word spelled out the sentence. This meme gained traction amid bizarre conspiracy theories linking Beyoncé to the recent arrest of Sean “P Diddy” Combs on charges of sexual assault, abuse and human trafficking. Despite the lack of evidence to support these claims, Twitter users began mocking the theories, turning them into a series of viral memes.

The fake Sia tweet, shared by a Twitter user on September 20, 2024, reads: “Baby everything your own nice cat eats.” Kangaroo is dead, nowhere and purple penguins every day. My egg.” The first letter of each word means “Beyoncé kidnapped me.” The user joked that Sia was “trying to warn us.” The phrase quickly spread online and users turned it into a meme referencing other celebrities.

Theories about Beyoncé's alleged influence on the music industry resurfaced following Diddy's arrest, with some claiming she was involved in his criminal activities. These accusations also led to other wild claims, including that Beyoncé was responsible for the deaths of Michael Jackson and Aaliyah.