Chuck Woolery’s Son Tests Positive for COVID-19 After He Claims ‘Everyone Is Lying’ About the Disease

Chuck Woolery’s son has tested positive for COVID-19, just days after Woolery tweeted conspiracy theories about the pandemic. Woolery told his followers that “everyone is lying” about the outbreak on Sunday, and then on Monday revealed that his son had tested positive. Woolery has now deleted his Twitter account following the backlash to his change of heart.

On Sunday, Woolery wrote that “the CDC, Media, Democrats, our Doctors” and others were telling “outrageous lies” about the coronavirus pandemic. He added: “I think it’s all about the election and keeping the economy from coming back, which is about the election. I’m sick of it.” The following day, however, he tweeted: “To further clarify and add perspective, Covid-19 is real and it is here. My son tested positive for the virus, and I feel for those suffering and especially for those who have lost loved ones.”

Over the next few days, Woolery faced intense backlash for his comments, with many COVID-19 survivors and their loved ones letting him know how harmful his earlier comments had been. They warned that he has to do much more to make amends and be forgiven, in some cases.

The former game show host deleted his Twitter account on Wednesday. Woolery is best-known as the original host of Wheel of Fortune before the role was taken over by Pat Sajak. He was also the host of Love Connection.

So far, it is not clear which of Woolery’s two sons tested positive for the virus. However, a representative for Woolery told NBC News that the son is asymptomatic. No further details about his family’s situation have been released.

Woolery’s tweet might not have caused such an uproar if President Donald Trump had not retweeted it. Many professionals in the medical, media and lawmaking fields were outraged to see the nation’s leader sharing unfounded conspiracy theories last weekend.

The Trump administration has been taking heavy criticism for other anti-science rhetoric recently as well. On Thursday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters: “The president has said unmistakably that he wants schools to open [in the fall]… The science should not stand in the way of this.”

Woolery has been married four times and has at least five children in total. His two sons come from his third marriage to Teri Nelson, daughter of actor David Nelson, according to a report by PEOPLE. Woolery and Nelson split up in 2003, though it is not clear how old their two sons, Michael and Sean, are today. Woolery married his current wife, Kim Barnes, in 2006.