No, brothers and sisters can’t get married in New Jersey

Over the Thanksgiving break, a story was making the rounds saying that the US Supreme Court ruled that New Jersey siblings could legally get married. The story is a hoax.

The source of this “news” is the World News Report Daily. It is a site that posts fake news stories, but apparently some people take it seriously. The incest story said that the brother and sister had been fighting the court battle to get married for 10 years. The brother, James Banes, points to Adam and Eve to support incest.

Even if you were to believe the story, when you go the website under the banner it says “Where facts don’t matter.”

A sampling of headlines from World News Report Daily:

• “OBESE MISSOURI COUPLE SUES HOSPITAL FOR REFUSING TO PERFORM REVERSE LIPOSUCTION ON THEIR THIN DAUGHTER"
• “MORGUE WORKER ARRESTED AFTER GIVING BIRTH TO A DEAD MAN’S BABY”
• “BURGLAR SNORTS DRIED SPERM THINKING IT WAS COCAINE, CONTRACTS HERPES AND SYPHILIS”

At the bottom of the page there is a disclaimer pointing out that the articles on the site are satirical and fictional. The article got enough attention that Snopes had to disprove it. I hope the comment section is a goof, too, because the commenters seem to be taking the story seriously, with many of them expressing disgust toward the couple and concern toward any possible offspring.