Arnold Schwarzenegger slept on the ground in front of a bronze statue of himself because he had been turned away from a hotel.
Stand up for the facts!
Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.
I would like to contribute
Schwarzenegger sleeping bag photo was a joke, he was not turned away from a hotel
If Your Time is short
• The photo was a joke, according to stories written when it was taken, in 2016.
A viral photo of Arnold Schwarzenegger tells a sob story about the actor-turned-governor. But in reality, the photo was a joke, and it was debunked years ago.
The photo posted on Facebook on April 14, 2022, shows Schwarzenegger wrapped in a sleeping bag, lying on the ground in front of a bronze statue of himself. The caption says Schwarzenegger had been turned away from a hotel because it was full.
"So he brought a blanket... and fell asleep under the statue... and asked people to take pictures of it…," the caption says. "Arnold wanted to send an important message.. that when he was in power and had a position.. everyone praised him and the hypocrites.. and when he lost this position, they forgot him and did not fulfill their promise to him."
The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
The photo was a joke, media outlets reported at the time it was taken, in 2016.
Sign up for PolitiFact texts
Schwarzenegger posted the photo on his Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts on Jan. 15, 2016. He captioned it, "How times have changed."
People magazine’s headline the same day read, "Arnold Schwarzenegger posts funny photo of himself ... next to a statue of himself." The story also said the photo is "bound to make you chuckle."
Similarly, E! News reported at the time that Schwarzenegger "poked a little fun at himself."
Featured Fact-check
The claim was previously debunked in 2019 and 2021.
The statue where the photo was taken is in front of the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Ohio, site of the annual Arnold Sports Festival that is named after Schwarzenegger.
At the time of the photo, Schwarzenegger was in Columbus for a movie he was filming, "478," according to People.
Schwarzenegger did not sleep on the ground in front of a bronze statue of himself because he had been turned away from a hotel. We rate the claim False.
Our Sources
AFP Fact Check, "Arnold Schwarzenegger did not sleep on the street after being rejected by a hotel," May 3, 2021
E!News, "Here Is Arnold Schwarzenegger Sleeping Next to a Statue of His Bodybuilder Self in Ohio," Jan. 16, 2016
Facebook post, Jan. 16, 2016
Facebook post, April 14, 2022
Factly, "The story about Arnold Schwarzenegger sleeping in front of his statue because he was denied a room in the hotel is false," Nov. 28, 2019
Instagram post, Jan. 16, 2016
People, "Arnold Schwarzenegger Posts Funny Photo of Himself ... Next to a Statue of Himself," Jan. 15, 2016
Twitter post, Jan. 16, 2016
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Monique Curet
Schwarzenegger sleeping bag photo was a joke, he was not turned away from a hotel
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.