A video that went viral in April 2023 authentically showed the Dalai Lama asking a boy to “suck my tongue.”
On April 2023, a video of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, went viral in which he reportedly told a boy to “suck my tongue.” The video also appeared to show the exiled leader asking the young boy to kiss his lips, and the child following directions. We have not yet independently confirmed the authenticity of the viral clip.
In the viral video, which includes audio, the boy first approaches the Dalai Lama and asks if he can give the Tibetan leader a hug. The Dalai Lama points to his cheek, saying “first here,” and the boy gives him a kiss there, followed by a hug. Then, the leader points to his lips and says, “I think here also,” and the boy kisses the Dalai Lama on the lips. The leader then touches his forehead to the boy’s before sticking out his tongue and allegedly saying, “suck my tongue.” The onlookers laugh as the boy also sticks out his tongue and moves away. The clip shows the Dalai Lama withdrawing as well.
Many social media users called the video inappropriate and disturbing, and some who shared it called it an example of pedophilia running rampant.
In response to people’s reaction to the viral clip, the Dalai Lama’s official social media account posted an apology on April 10, stating:
A video clip has been circulating that shows a recent meeting when a young boy asked his Holiness the Dalai Lama if he could give him a hug. His Holiness wishes to apologize to the boy and his family, as well as his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused.
His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident.
In sum, the Dalai Lama’s account acknowledged that a young boy asked “if he could give him a hug,” and apologized “for the hurt his words may have caused” during that interaction, though it did not say what those words were.
Based on the context clues (i.e. the scene’s backdrop, the boy’s shirt, etc.) and news archives, we were able to identify where the moment allegedly happened: a gathering at the Dalai Lama’s temple in Dharamshala, Indian on Feb. 28, 2023. Based on verifiable photographs and videos from that event, it was true that a young boy in a yellow shirt and the Dalai Lama shared a hug and a kiss, like the viral video claimed.
At the event, the Dalai Lama spoke to around 120 students who had completed a skills training program organized by the M3M Foundation. Afterwards, that organization uploaded photographs online that showed the boy interacting with the leader. Additionally, the Voice of America (VOA) Tibetan-language newscast covered the event.
The available VOA footage did not show the interaction between the Dalai Lama and the boy in the yellow shirt, so it was unknown where — or how — accounts that shared the video supposedly showing the Dalai Lama saying “suck my tongue” got that clip. We reached out to the news agency to request a copy of unedited footage from the event.
We have not independently verified the claim that, during that interaction, the Tibetan leader asked the child to “suck my tongue,” with those words exactly. It is possible that audio in which the Tibetan leader supposedly made that statement — that is, audio connected to the clip sweeping social media — was digitally manipulated.
Several news outlets reported on the viral video, including Newsweek, which included a link to the clip hosted by a third party, not the VOA. That third-party account is no longer displaying the video.
When we reached out to VOA regarding access to full footage from the event and the aforementioned deleted video that was linked in the Newsweek article, they told us, “The video clip was of a public event recorded by several media entities, including our stringer. Unfortunately, the video was posted without following VOA’s best practices guidelines and removed. VOA Tibetan is investigating.”
We will update this fact check when, or if, we obtain unedited footage of the event to confirm, or deny, whether the Dalai Lama indeed said those words.
The BBC published the headline, “Dalai Lama regrets asking boy to ‘suck my tongue'” though that article did not link to, or display, the viral video, nor the original source of that video.
According to the BBC, sticking out one’s tongue is a form of greeting in Tibet. “It has been a tradition since the 9th century, the time of an unpopular king called Lang Darma, who was known for his black tongue,” said the BBC. “People in Tibet thought that the king had been reborn, so to prove they weren’t the king, they would show their tongues.”
However, the Delhi-based HAQ: Center for Child Rights told CNN, “Some news refers to Tibetan culture about showing tongue, but this video is certainly not about any cultural expression and even if it is, such cultural expressions are not acceptable.”
While the Dalai Lama’s team acknowledged “hurt” caused by his words and issued an apology for the interaction at the center of the viral video, and a credible news agency (VOA) showed the Tibetan leader interacting with the boy, we have thus far been unable to independently verify from where the viral clip supposedly showing the Dalai Lama asking the boy to “suck my tongue” originated.
Given that we cannot rely solely on third-party video reposts to confirm the veracity of the footage, and that the Dalai Lama’s apology did not specify the exact words he used, we are awaiting further information before we give this claim a truth rating.