Shein launches investigation after viral ad uses Luigi Mangione’s likeness

What's Trending

Fast-fashion giant Shein is under fire after an image of Luigi Mangione — the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson — appeared modeling a white shirt on its website. The shirt, listed for under ten dollars, was quickly pulled after discovery. Shein said the image came from a third-party vendor and promised a full investigation.  Experts now believe the photo may have been AI-generated, with facial recognition showing a 99.9% match to Mangione and detection tools confirming signs of AI. The controversy has sparked debate online, with some calling it unethical marketing. Meanwhile, Mangione has pleaded not guilty, with his trial not expected before 2026 and a federal court hearing set for December 2025 to establish a firm date.

Transcript

00:00Fast fashion giant Xi'an is facing controversy after using the likeness of an accused murderer

00:04to model a shirt on its website. Reports state an image surfaced early Wednesday morning showing

00:11Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last year,

00:16wearing a white shirt for sale on Xi'an's platform. The shirt was listed for just under $10 at the

00:22Chinese fast fashion website before the picture was taken down. Xi'an told BBC the image came

00:27from a third-party vendor, and it was removed immediately upon discovery. The company stated,

00:32we are conducting a thorough investigation, strengthening our monitoring process,

00:36and will take appropriate action against the vendor in line with our policies.

00:39But here's where it gets murky. Some experts believe the photo may have been artificially

00:44generated. According to the BBC, facial recognition software matched the model's face to Mangione's

00:49with 99.9% accuracy. And now, AI detection experts are weighing in. Toli Kovitnitsky, CEO of AI or not,

00:57ran the picture through his company's tools and confirmed it does appear to be AI-generated.

01:01While some online feel this is genius marketing, others are confused by how the company can get

01:06away with using anyone's likeness without consent. One comment on X read,

01:10it's a lazy and unethical way to market a product, which isn't surprising for a company like Xi'an.

01:16Reports state Luigi Mangione has pleaded not guilty to federal and state charges in the ambush

01:21killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Mangione's trial isn't expected before 2026,

01:27but he is due back in federal court on December 5th, 2025, when a firm trial date is likely to be set.

01:33As for Xi'an, the photo and link have been removed from their website while they investigate how the

01:38image made it online in the first place. Share your thoughts and follow us everywhere at What's Trending.

01:43What's Trending?

Category

Transcript

Comments

Recommended