A FABRICATED news story claiming Hollywood actor Denzel Washington had praised U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is being shared widely on Facebook.

    The post from Facebook page American News has been shared more than 22,000 times since Monday.

    It claims Washington praised Trump, saying: “We need more and more jobs.

    “He has hired more employees, more people, than anyone I know in the world.”

    The story also claims Washington called President Barack Obama “anti-Christian.”

    Washington’s publicist Alan Nierob told BBC News: “The story is 100 percent complete fabrication.”

    But some Facebook users have been fooled. One, Anita Ward, said on Facebook: “Kudos to Denzel.

    “We need to be a united country not divided, after all it is called United States of America.

    “In the name of Jesus, stand up for America and come together, love one another and work together.”

    Another posted: “He has been my favorite actor for a very long time. Knew there was something special about him. God is his savior. Thank you, Denzel!”

    The prevalence of fake news on Facebook has become a hot issue in the wake of the U.S. election. Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg responded to these concerns in a post on Saturday night.

    “Only a very small amount is fake news and hoaxes,” he said.

    “The hoaxes that do exist are not limited to one partisan view, or even to politics.”

    But it appears not all Zuckerberg’s own employees were satisfied with his response, as Buzzfeed news has reported that some have set up an unofficial task force to deal with the problem.

    (SD-Agencies)