Journey frontman Arnel Pineda has broken his silence amid circulating fake news videos falsely claiming he was sentenced to life imprisonment by a U.S. court in San Francisco for alleged “predatory and abusive behavior.”
Several misleading YouTube videos featured doctored images of Pineda in a prison uniform, with claims that the Filipino rock icon had collapsed in court during sentencing. The videos gained significant traction online, prompting concern from fans.
Pineda took to Instagram to address the rumors subtly but effectively. In one post, he shared a video of a sunset view from Metro Manila, writing in the caption: “#heatwave in #metromanila won’t stop me from enjoying my #unfiltered #sunsets.”
A curious follower asked him directly about the viral rumors, commenting: “What’s going on with the YouTube video about you being sentenced to life?”
To this, Pineda replied: “Well I’m somewhere nice and the sentence was in Sanfo… do the math.”
He ended his comment with a kissing face emoji, implying he was unbothered by the baseless claims.
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The post confirms that Pineda is currently in the Philippines, further debunking the claim that he is in U.S. custody.
Fans expressed relief and support in the comments section: “Demanda mo Arnel para matuto!”
“Good to hear from you. I also came across one YT video saying about you being sentenced to life… I looked it up for any news article but I couldn’t find any. Glad you’re okay bro!”
“Kuya Arnel dati isyu aalis ka na ng Journey. Ngayon life time imprison naman daw. Daming jinggeterong marites.”
“Muntik na’ko maniwala sa mga fake news sa YouTube. Buti na lang nag-research ako.”
No credible news outlet or official source has reported any legal case involving Pineda. As of now, Arnel Pineda appears to be enjoying his time in Manila—free, unbothered, and still rocking.
