Fake image circulates of Canadian PM's wife, Diana Fox Carney

"Why does Mark Carney's 'wife'…look like his evil twin brother?" reads the caption of an April 7, 2025 photo posted on X by self-described conspiracy theorist Liz Churchill, who has previously spread misinformation.

The X post gained thousands of likes, while versions on Facebook racked up hundreds more.

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Screenshot of an X post taken April 10, 2025

Mark Carney was sworn in as prime minister on March 14, after wining the leadership race for the ruling Liberal Party. He quickly called for a snap election which is scheduled to take place on April 28. 

Carney had a career in investment banking before becoming the governor of the banks of Canada and England. His wife works as an economist and policy advisor (archived here). While the prime minister's main political opponent, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, has frequently been seen with his wife Anaida Poilievre on the campaign trail, Diana Fox Carney has been less present.

There are numerous genuine photos of her at Canadian political events, but the image shared by Churchill is not authentic.

Reverse image search reveals the picture is an altered version of a real image from the Reuters news agency of the Carney couple on March 9 when Mark Carney won the Liberal leadership race.

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Screenshot of a March 9, 2025 Reuters image of Mark Carney (L) and Diana Fox Carney

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Screenshot of a Facebook post taken April 10, 2025

AFP could not determine the source of the manipulation of Diana Fox Carney's edited image, but the mouth and lower half of her face are altered in the posts shared on social media.

Churchill's caption implies the prime minister's wife looks like a man, echoing false claims speculating on the genders of the wives of political leaders that have previously targeted former US first lady Michelle Obama and Brigitte Macron, the wife of the French president.

The Canadian campaign has already generated several misleading claims, as well as a tenuous conspiracy theory tied to photos of Mark and Diana Fox Carney next to convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell in 2013 (archived here). This precipitated several images of the new prime minister next to controversial figures generated using artificial intelligence.

Read more of AFP's reporting on misinformation during the Canadian election here.