Shocking Claim: Did Arnold Schwarzenegger Suffer Heart Issues Due to the Vaccine?

Claim

Recent news of Terminator actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger getting a pacemaker and his three open heart surgeries have gotten anti-vaxxers patting themselves on the back. X (formerly known as Twitter) users attached the news headline with a video of an interview with CNN back in August 2021 during the COVID pandemic in which he urges people to get the vaccine.

Fact Check

It was investigated by the DFRAC team that Schwarzenegger had faced heart issues before the onset of the pandemic and already had surgeries.

As reported by Entertainment Weekly, the actor underwent his initial two surgeries in 1997, during which medical professionals replaced both his pulmonic and aortic valves. Subsequently, he underwent replacement procedures again in both 2018 and 2020.

As reported by The Independent, during an interview on August 11th, 2021, Schwarzenegger criticized anti-vaxxers and encouraged individuals to prioritize public health by choosing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, stating, “Forget about your freedom” in favour of halting the virus’s transmission.

Conclusion: The connection made between Arnold’s health issues and the COVID-19 vaccine is based on prejudice and fake news, as he was already facing these issues prior to the spread of the COVID-19 virus.  

The claim is misleading