Oprah Winfrey denies 'horrible' arrest rumors

Oprah Winfrey was forced to deny being arrested for sex trafficking after rumors about her began circulating online on Tuesday.

This came after a number of unverified posts on Twitter claimed that the TV host's home in Boca Raton, Florida, had been raided due to her involvement in a global trafficking ring.

Winfrey, 66, dispelled the rumors, many of which referenced her friendship with convicted sex offender Harvey Weinstein, on Twitter, insisting they were “not true.”

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She wrote: “I just got a phone call saying my name is trending. And I was trolled for something horrible and FALSE. This is NOT TRUE. I was not raided nor stopped.

“Just sanitize and distance yourself from the rest of the world. Stay safe everyone.”

The Guardian reports that the false claims have similar origins to the right-wing conspiracy, QAnon.

The Washington Post previously described the conspiracy theory as “centering on the idea that an anonymous government official, or 'Q,' secretly shared messages and symbols that serve as evidence of a hidden plot to overthrow Trump.”

Filmmaker Ava DuVernay came to Winfrey's defense, highlighting her philanthropic work over the years as well as her openness to discussing her own experience with abuse.

She tweeted: “Trolls + bots started this disgusting rumor. Petty minds continued. #Oprah worked for decades on behalf of others. Donated hundreds of millions to individuals and causes in need.

“She shared her own abuse as a child to help people heal. Shame on everyone who participated in this.