This was both false and a scam. Scammers were using Stanley's image and likeness without his authorization.
Rev. Charles Stanley, pastor emeritus for First Baptist Church Atlanta, has never endorsed CBD gummies or oil, despite a persistent rumor found online. Scammers appeared to first begin using Stanley's image and likeness in association with the products without his authorization back in 2021. His name began to trend with CBD gummies once again on July 22, 2022, according to Google Trends.
In Touch Ministries, which is associated with Stanley, previously debunked the rumor on Facebook in May 2021, saying a fake article designed to look as if it came from the Fox News website was going around, and that "none of it is true":
FactCheck.org, ChristianityToday.com, and other websites also published reporting that debunked this scam.
While the scam with Stanley's name first began in 2021, there were still a large number of Facebook pages in July 2022 that had names like, "Charles Stanley CBD Gummies." These were created by scammers.
We previously reported on a number of other false claims from the world of CBD and keto gummies and oil. Fake celebrity endorsements for these products are nothing new. Some of our more recent stories described how the image and likeness of actor Rebel Wilson, Food Network TV host Ree Drummond, and "Family Feud" host Steve Harvey were all being used without their authorization in order to push bottles of CBD or keto gummies. These three celebrities were just the tip of the iceberg, unfortunately.
We advise readers to be cautious when clicking on any information that claims a celebrity or other noteworthy person endorsed any special pills, gummies, or other similar pharmaceutical products.