Nova deepfake video — Oct 2026
An Asheville drag queen is exploring legal action after a political campaign used AI to falsely depict her dancing with a congressional candidate
- Reported date
- Oct 27, 2026
- Target
- Nova (drag queen)
The exact incident date was not established. This entry is dated by its source report.
A political attack ad featuring an AI-generated depiction of an Asheville drag queen named Nova has sparked controversy and potential legal action. The commercial, which was paid for by the National Republican Congressional Committee and approved by Republican candidate Jennifer Balkcom, portrays Nova dancing with Democratic congressional candidate Jamie Ager. Nova, who has never met Ager or visited his property, stated she was blindsided by the unauthorized use of her likeness in the advertisement.
What happened
The advertisement utilized artificial intelligence to create a scene depicting a barn dance where Nova appears to be dancing with Ager. Nova has issued a cease-and-desist order to the Balkcom campaign, demanding the removal of the ad, though it has continued to air on television and remain on YouTube. Legal experts note that while political advertisements receive significant First Amendment protection, the unauthorized use of a person's likeness to imply they were in a location they never visited could provide grounds for a misappropriation claim.
According to Dr. Chris Cooper of Western Carolina University, North Carolina currently lacks legislation requiring the disclosure of AI-generated content in political advertisements. While Ager’s campaign has labeled the ad as entirely fake, the Balkcom campaign has not provided comment. Attorneys suggest that if the ad continues to run despite the cease-and-desist notice, it could increase potential damages in future litigation, though obtaining a court-ordered injunction remains difficult due to concerns regarding prior restraint.