AI-Generated Deepfake Video Falsely Announces WWE Star's Retirement
An AI-generated deepfake video falsely showed WWE wrestler Zoey Stark announcing her retirement while she was injured and recovering from knee surgery. The realistic video fooled many people, including her family, before Stark publicly clarified on social media that the announcement was not genuine and she intended to return to wrestling.
What happened
An AI-generated video circulated online purporting to show WWE wrestler Zoey Stark announcing her retirement from wrestling.
Stark was recovering from a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus injury sustained during a Money in the Bank qualifying match on WWE Raw when the video appeared.
The deepfake video was realistic enough that many people, including Stark's own family members, initially believed it to be authentic.
Reported impact
The false retirement announcement caused concern among fans and Stark's family about her health status.
Stark addressed the video on social media, confirming it was AI-generated and denying she was retiring from wrestling.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.