Claims extracted
20
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
10%
2 of 20 hedged
("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
65/100
Evening Standard's corrections and
hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
2
Entertainment
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
George Michael’s guitar at centre of family row as it goes to auction
asserted
it → go → auction
An auction of singer George Michael’s personal memorabilia which includes the guitar from the Faith music video has sparked a family row, according to a report.
uncertain
which → include → report
The guitar is one of several items being sold by Sworders on Thursday from the collection of Michael’s former personal assistant, Siobhan Bailey, who died in 2014.
asserted
who → sell → 2014
Ms Bailey’s brother Gerard told the BBC the archive has been offered to auction by her widower, Ian Belcher, adding his sister “would be horrified at the prospect of the auction being held in her name and that her personal, cherished possessions are being sold off to the highest bidder”.
asserted
possessions → tell → bidder
According to the BBC, Ms Bailey was in the process of divorcing her husband but was legally still married to Mr Belcher at the time of her death and did not leave a will, meaning the collection passed to him.
uncertain
collection → accord → him
Mr Bailey told the BBC he accepted Mr Belcher had the right to sell the items but claimed his sister was in the process of drafting a will before her death to leave the items to her nieces and nephews.
asserted
sister → tell → nieces
In a letter to the auction house, seen by the broadcaster, Mr Bailey said the family considers the auction a “breach of his sister’s privacy” and said using her name was “disingenuous”, and asked for the sale to be stopped or listed in Mr Belcher’s name.
asserted
sale → see → name
A spokesperson for Sworders said: “We are not well placed to comment on a family matter, but such disputes are not uncommon in the auction business.
asserted
disputes → say → business
In this case, as the BBC article makes clear, the legal title of the collection is not in question.”
asserted
title → make → question
The auction house said Mr Belcher was unavailable for comment.
asserted
Belcher → say → comment
Mr Bailey said Michael gave the guitar to Ms Bailey, who was his assistant for 20 years, as a gift because he “thought so much of her”.
asserted
he → say → her
The guitar, which Michael plays while dressed in a black leather jacket and blue jeans in the Faith video, is expected to fetch more than £100,000.
asserted
Michael → play → 100,000
Other items in the sale include ring-bound tour itineraries from Michael’s solo career and his time in the band Wham!.
asserted
items → include → band
There is also memorabilia from some of his most celebrated live performances, including a four-page running order from Live Aid in 1985 which features his duet with Sir Elton John, Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me.
asserted
Sun → be → Me
Other items for sale include a gold disc for 500,000 UK sales of Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go, which is estimated to fetch between £200 and £500.
asserted
which → include → 200
The archive as a whole is expected to achieve more than £200,000.
asserted
archive → expect → 200,000
Guy Schooling, chairman of Sworders auctioneers, previously said the sale “will offer avid fans around the globe the chance to own not just pieces of music history, but objects that capture the spirit and ambition of one of pop’s greatest and most-loved artists”.
asserted
that → say → artists
Read More
Michael, born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, had 13 number one singles in the UK.
asserted
Michael → read → UK
He came out as gay in 1998 and became an activist for LGBT rights and an HIV/Aids charity fundraiser.
asserted
He → come → rights
Michael died of heart disease on Christmas Day in 2016, aged 53.
asserted
Michael → die → 2016
The Aporia
