TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A number of Instagram [archive], Facebook, and TikTok accounts claim that The Simpsons predicted the hantavirus pandemic. They refer to episode 19 of season 23, titled "A Totally Fun Thing Bart Will Never Do Again," which aired in 2012.
This episode depicts the panic and isolation of cruise ship passengers due to a mysterious disease outbreak. Netizens then linked the story to the hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship in April–May 2026. Another narrative accuses the show of exposing a plan by the global elite to create a pandemic.
However, is it true that this old episode of The Simpsons showed the emergence of the hantavirus in 2026?
FACT CHECK
Tempo verified the content using a reverse image search, a fake-sense content scanner, and compared the narrative with credible information. The results proved that the circulating image had been modified using a fake-sense engine. The narrative also differs from the original story of The Simpsons. The hoax creator manipulated material from The Simpsons story "A Totally Fun Thing Bart Will Never Do Again."
Image Verification
The circulating image is a still from episode 19 of The Simpsons season 23, which aired on April 29, 2012. The post was previously published on a fan blog. The Simpsons Wiki notes that this episode tells the story of Bart taking his family on a cruise ship vacation. Not wanting the vacation to end, Bart deliberately traps the ship so it doesn't dock.
Comparison of the scene from The Simpsons episode 19 season 23 which aired on April 29, 2012 with the circulating image.
He disrupted communications and spread a hoax that a deadly plague was breaking out on land. The ship delayed landing until Bart's deception was finally exposed. As a result, he and his family were dumped in Antarctica.
Quoted from the BBC, The Simpsons executive producer Matt Helman asserted that the narrative linking hantavirus infection to the film is a complete lie. The misinformation creators deliberately edited the image to support their claims.
Image Contains AI Elements
Tempo analyzed the image using the artificial intelligence detection tool Hive Moderation. This tool concluded the image contained artificial intelligence elements with a probability of 84.2 percent—respectively, with estimates using the Seedance model at 54.7 percent and 4o at 29.9 percent.
A screenshot of the Hive Moderation AI detection tool evaluating images circulating online that were generated by artificial intelligence (AI).
The Zhuque AI Detection Assistant also produced similar results. The app stated there was a 99.54 percent chance the content was generated by an AI-based image-creation app.
A screenshot of the Zhuque AI Detection Assistant, an AI-powered detection tool, indicates that the circulating image was generated by artificial intelligence (AI).
CONCLUSION
Tempo's verification results conclude that the narrative claiming a 2012 episode of The Simpsons predicted a viral infection on the MV Hondius is false.
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