My boyfriend has been struggling with a game

On January 12, 2026, it was reported that Collingwood Magpies AFL player Bobby Hill became the subject of a deceptive AI-generated photograph. The image, which circulated on social media, falsely depicted the professional athlete using a meth pipe, misleading some fans into believing the content was authentic. The incident occurred while Hill was already navigating a period of personal difficulty, having recently taken a leave of absence from his professional football career with the support of his club.

What happened

The malicious image was constructed using digital synthesis techniques, specifically by manipulating a video frame. The source material for the deepfake was a grab from an existing video showing a high-profile Australian businessman, Geoff Bainbridge, smoking a substance through a pipe. By superimposing Hill's likeness onto this footage, bad actors created a convincing but entirely false representation of the athlete. The publication of this deepfake coincided with a sensitive time for Hill, who had recently stepped away from the AFL program to address personal matters, including a publicized family breakdown involving his partner, Georgia Devlin, and their children. Collingwood football boss Charlie Gardiner confirmed that the club remains focused on prioritizing Hill's health and wellbeing during his absence, as the athlete deals with the fallout of both his private challenges and this digital defamation.