Meaning of 実は in Japanese

実はそれはただのうわさだったよ。
Actually, it was only a rumor.

最近思いもよらない事件が多いね。事実は小説より奇なり、とはよく言ったもんだよ。
You hear about a lot of incidents these days that would be hard to dream up. It really backs up the old saying that fact is stranger than fiction.