Is the Denzel Washington Supreme Court case story real? Law degree claims debunked
A rumor surfaced online recently that American actor, producer, and director Denzel Washington traded arguments inside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. with United States Chief Justice John Roberts. It was first uploaded by the YouTube channel Secret Stories on May 4, 2025.
“Judge John Roberts Tries To Embarrass Denzel Washington, Later Discovers Denzel's Legal Brilliance!” the video post was titled.
It garnered severe traction online and amassed over 495K views in less than 3 days. Later, the video claim was shared across other social media sites, including Facebook, TikTok, Threads, and X.
However, the now-viral claim has turned out to be fake, as confirmed by the fact-checking website Snopes. Denzel Washington did not argue with John Roberts inside the Supreme Court. Google Search Engine did not reveal any such incident ever taking place in real life, and no major media outlets have reported on it.
Furthermore, in the video description of Secret Stories, a disclaimer was provided that read:
“The stories presented on this channel are entirely fictional and crafted solely for entertainment. Any resemblance to real events, individuals, or situations is purely coincidental and unintentional.”
Washington’s representative Alan Nierob, who is also the chairman of Rogers & Cowan/PMK agency’s entertainment division, also refuted the rumor in an email to Snopes.
"None of this is true," Nierob stated.
Thus, the Denzel Washington and John Roberts rumor can be debunked.
Denzel Washington did not battle John Roberts inside the courtroom
In the Secret Stories YouTube video, there were several false claims about Denzel Washington. For instance, the description claimed that the Oscar winner has a law degree from Harvard University.
“Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts attempts to humiliate actor Denzel Washington during oral arguments, unaware that Washington secretly earned a law degree from Howard University,” it read.
The description added, “When Roberts dismissively questions Washington's legal understanding, the Hollywood legend responds with a masterful constitutional analysis of civil forfeiture laws, complete with obscure historical cases and founding documents.”
However, the claim is fabricated. Denzel Washington does not have a law degree. Instead, he had obtained a BA degree in drama and journalism from Fordham University. He also studied acting at the Lincoln Center, New York City, and later attended graduate school at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.
Furthermore, the entire video and its thumbnail showed a collage of Washington and Roberts’ images, rather than actual evidentiary footage from inside the Supreme Court.
There were also tell-tale signs of the use of artificial intelligence in the 34-minute-long video, as per Snopes. The outlet mentioned that AI-detection website Copyleaks detected that the entire script narrated in the YouTube clip was computer-generated with AI tools. Inconsistent accents of the narrator also indicated an AI-generated voice-over.
Additionally, the video came with a disclaimer that all content featured on the Secret Stories channel was fictional and satirical, meant for virality, sensationalism, and monetization.
“These narratives are not intended to depict, reference, or represent any actual occurrences, persons, or entities,” the description read.
Denzel Washington has recently been in the news for his New York City-based crime thriller movie Highest 2 Lowest, set to hit the theaters in August 22, 2025 and later on the streaming platform Apple TV+ from September 5, 2025.
The trailer for Spike Lee’s new film, featuring A$AP Rocky, was released on May 5. The movie will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival later this month.
Meanwhile, on May 1, John Roberts was sued by the America First Legal Foundation for allegedly abusing his powers as head of the U.S. Judicial Conference.
The organization has accused the Chief Justice as well as Robert J. Conrad, the Director of the Administrative Office of the American courts, for allowing U.S. judiciary to carry out “certain regulatory actions that go beyond the scope of resolving cases or controversies,” or “administratively supporting those actions,” as reported by Fox News.
America First Legal Foundation has claimed that John Roberts comply with the Freedom of Information Act requests by the Trump administration and reveal the necessary court records, as and when demanded by the White House.
