Danney Williams is Bill Clinton's secret son
| Danney Williams is Bill Clinton's secret son | |
|---|---|
| FALSE | |
| "Danney Williams of Little Rock, Arkansas, is Bill Clinton's illegitimate son, and the Clintons covered it up." | |
| Domain | Politics & Elections |
| Tactic | Fabrication |
| Era | Historical |
| First seen | 1992 |
| Origin | A 1992 tabloid story, revived by the Drudge Report in 1999 and by pro-Trump outlets and a paid publicity campaign in 2016 |
| Last reviewed | 2026-10-29 |
| Further reading: books on Politics & Elections | |
The claim that Bill Clinton fathered a son, Danney Williams, with an Arkansas woman first surfaced in a 1992 supermarket tabloid. It returned in January 1999, when the Drudge Report said a DNA test would prove it, and again in October 2016, when Williams appeared in videos promoted by Trump allies and a news conference organized in Philadelphia.
The one DNA comparison that was actually reported, in 1999, found no match.
What the evidence shows
- 1999 DNA comparison. After the Starr report published Clinton's DNA profile from the Lewinsky dress, Star magazine, which had backed the story, compared it with Williams' DNA. In January 1999, Newsweek and other outlets reported that the comparison showed Clinton was not the father.
- 2016 revival. The 2016 campaign around Williams offered no new genetic evidence. It was funded and promoted by activists opposed to Hillary Clinton's candidacy and was not supported by any independent test.
- No paternity case. No court ever made a paternity finding against Clinton.
Why it matters
The story shows how a claim already disproved can be repackaged for a new election. The only test that was done points against it.
Sources
- Newsweek, reporting on the Star magazine DNA comparison, January 1999.
- Snopes, "Danney Williams: Bill Clinton's Son?" updated 2016.
- The Washington Post, coverage of the October 2016 Philadelphia event promoting the claim.