Posts sharing Canadian mayoral candidate puppet clip lack comedy show context

"Meet Scarlett Gillespie, a candidate for mayor in Hamilton, Ontario," reads the caption of a June 28, 2026 video shared to X by the popular US account, Libs of TikTok, minutes before posting an anti-LGBTQ claim also targeting Canada which AFP debunked.

In the clip, Gillespie is seen holding the puppet and discussing the moment when she decided to run for mayor. The Libs of TikTok post attacked Gillespie's transgender identity and claimed she used the puppet for all her speeches. 

The footage surged across X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok and was shared by numerous accounts with large followings, such as right-wing political influence group Canada Proud.

Some captions claimed Gillespie required the puppet to speak in public, while others tied the display to her being transgender or implied it proved a lack of seriousness in Canadian politics -- a point influencers affiliated with US President Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" movement return to when discussing their northern neighbors.

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Screenshot of an X post taken June 30, 2026

Gillespie announced her campaign to run for mayor of Hamilton -- a port city on Lake Ontario, southwest of Toronto -- in March 2026. Her previous advocacy for tenant and sex worker rights gave her a buzzy entrance into the Hamilton race, which includes the sitting mayor and a current city councillor.

However, Gillespie confirmed to AFP on June 30 that the clip of her with the puppet was actually from a comedy show hosted by Uncloseted Comedy at the Staircase Theater in Hamilton on June 13. 

In the video, Gillespie said, she is answering audience-submitted questions which were sometimes difficult, so the puppet was introduced to add a lighter tone.

"It was to sort of provide serious answers to questions to the audience members while also providing levity."

Gillespie posted her full appearance on her social media accounts, where she also advertised her spot at the comedy event (archived here and here). The wider angle on the original video shows the other participant also wearing a sock puppet.

Posts on Uncloseted Comedy's page indicate the group often showcases sock puppet skits (archived here, here and here).

Gillespie, who previously went by the name Jelena Vermilion, has appeared in several videos without a puppet in her hand (archived here, here and here).

She lamented that the LGBTQ comedy event was dragged into the out-of-context claims.

"It isn't lost on me that this event, which was centered on joy, and centered around creating a safer space and welcoming space was sort of turned around and weaponized," she said.

Even with these concerns, Gillespie observed that the posts were boosting her campaign's visibility.

"I just want people to understand that I'm not a thin-skinned person. I've been bullied and harassed and abused my whole life as a transgender and queer person. I'm not afraid of these people," she said.

These claims were first debunked by Quebec-based verification outlet VérifRadar.

Ontario's municipal elections will take place on October 26 (archived here).

Read more of AFP's reporting on misinformation in Canada here.