Shame on not EU...

In July 2026, a convincing AI-generated photograph featuring K-pop star Lisa of BLACKPINK and footballer Cristiano Ronaldo went viral, misleading thousands of social media users. The image, which depicted the two celebrities posing together backstage, gained significant traction before sharp-eyed fans identified it as a deepfake.

What happened

The incident began when a fan account posted an AI-edited selfie of Lisa and Cristiano Ronaldo, both wearing Nike apparel. The post included a provocative caption comparing Ronaldo to Lionel Messi, which intensified engagement and fueled debates among football and K-pop fans on X. The image's realistic appearance led many users to believe the encounter was authentic, resulting in widespread sharing and confusion.

After users identified visual inconsistencies, the original poster admitted the image was fake and described it as nonsense. Despite the debunking, the image continued to spread, highlighting the ongoing challenge of misinformation on social media where viral content often outpaces fact-checking. The incident served as a reminder of how easily AI-generated celebrity content can blur reality, turning harmless internet posts into sources of confusion and heated fan wars.