“Euphoria” Star Jacob Elordi Faces Nonconsensual Deepfake Scandal
Jacob Elordi, known for his roles in Euphoria and Saltburn, has become the latest victim of nonconsensual sexually explicit deepfakes. According to NBC News, posts featuring these deepfakes were viewed over 3 million times in just one day.
The deepfakes combine Elordi’s face with a pornographic video from a male OnlyFans creator. The body in the video doesn’t match Elordi, who has a distinctive birthmark on his chest. NBC News found the deepfake in more than 16 posts on X, formerly known as Twitter. One post alone garnered over 1.7 million views.
“That’s Literally My Video”
The OnlyFans creator who appears in the original video has spoken out against the deepfake. He revealed that the video was taken when he was 17. On his X account, he wrote, “That’s literally my video,” and “Deep fake is getting creepy.” He also asked for the posts to be deleted. NBC News confirmed that he is now 19 and lives in Brazil.
Out of the 16 posts reviewed by NBC, only one had a content label warning that it might violate X’s rules against abuse. Despite this, the post still had 23,000 views. X has a policy against sharing manipulated media that could deceive or harm people, but it has struggled to prevent the spread of such content.
The Rise of Deepfakes
Deepfakes are digitally altered media created using artificial intelligence. Nonconsensual sexually explicit videos are one of the most common forms. While recent laws aim to combat these videos, their presence online continues to grow. Easy-to-use deepfake apps, often advertised on social media, have made it easier to create and share these videos.
While deepfakes often target prominent women and teenage girls, male celebrities like Elordi are not immune. In some posts, the deepfake was presented as a “leak” suggesting it was real material published without consent. Other posts identified it as a deepfake.
The emergence of deepfake technology has raised concerns about its potential misuse, including political disinformation. As the US 2024 elections approach, the risk of deepfakes interfering with the democratic process is a growing concern.
Deeply Illegal
ABC.net.au reports that in Australia: “The sharing of non-consensual deepfake sexually explicit material will carry a penalty of six years in jail. If a person also created the deepfake shared without consent, there will be an aggravated offence that carries a higher penalty of seven years’ imprisonment.”
