Rumors sprint. Truth jogs. But truth always finishes the race.

False versions travel fast because they are simple and exciting and require nothing from the person repeating them. Accuracy moves slowly because it has to be checked, and it arrives after everyone has already formed a view. That lag is genuinely painful when you are the subject of the fast version.

If something untrue is circulating about you, the urge is to sprint after it, and that rarely works. Say the accurate thing once, clearly, to the people who matter. Then go on behaving in a way that makes the rumour harder to believe over time.