Rumors are once again flying that Jeff Gordon is getting a divorce. These latest claims come after a satirical website published that Jeff was in a gay relationship with Stephen Rhodes, a fellow driver who is actually homosexual. Just because the report was fake, however, doesn't mean that NASCAR fans weren't fooled by the news.
Website Empire Sports fooled millions on March 24. The satirical sports site (whose logo looks nearly identical to ESPN) published a story titled "Jeff Gordon and Stephen Rhodes Confirm Homosexual Relationship; NASCAR Fans Outraged," which claimed:
"A highly respected member of the NASCAR community has come out and admitted he is in a relationship with a fellow openly gay NASCAR member. Jeff Gordon who is going through a divorce said that he is now dating openly gay driver Stephen Rhodes...It is 100% confirmed by them both. Both men have been seen around together since they came out just recently. The couple has been seen hand in hand but not much else in the public eye."
But Syracuse.com was quick to dispel those rumors. The following day, contributor Geoff Herbert responded:
"No, that report you've seen on Facebook claiming Jeff Gordon is in a 'homosexual relationship' with Stephen Rhodes is not true. It's a hoax from a fake sports news site. Empire Sports claimed Gordon had 'confirmed' he is dating Rhodes, an openly gay race car driver, and that NASCAR fans were outraged at the news. The outrage may be accurate, as the article quickly generated 1.5 million page views and 1,400 comments from readers, many of whom fell for it."
