Representatives for actress Mia Goth say Instagram allowed a verified fan account to spread AI-generated images of her, including a viral fake photograph that entertainment outlets reported as real. The image, posted shortly after news broke that Goth had filed for divorce from Shia LaBeouf, showed her in a T-shirt reading 'MY EX IS MY BIGGEST FAN' set to Beyoncé's 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).'
The post came from an account called miagoth_, which was marked with a blue verified checkmark and had over a million followers. Hundreds of thousands of people liked the image, and outlets including OK! and People wrote about it as if it were authentic before screenshots spread to other platforms.
Goth does not run social media accounts, her team told The Verge. Christine Tripicchio, a representative for the actress, said the team has filed multiple complaints asking Instagram to remove the account.
“Mia Goth does not have ownership of, nor does she engage in social media on any platform. We have filed multiple complaints with Instagram to remove the verified fan account which continues to post counterfeit, AI images of Mia Goth”— Christine Tripicchio, Representative for Mia Goth
Key facts
- 01Representatives for actress Mia Goth say a viral Instagram image of her in a 'MY EX IS MY BIGGEST FAN' T-shirt was AI-generated.
- 02The miagoth_ account carried a blue verified checkmark and had over a million followers before being wiped from Instagram.
- 03Entertainment outlets including OK! and People covered the image as authentic; it drew hundreds of thousands of likes.
- 04Goth's rep Christine Tripicchio says the team has filed multiple complaints with Instagram asking for the account's removal.
- 05Meta's rules carve still images out of its AI-labeling requirement, which applies to photorealistic AI videos of people.
The blue checkmark is at the center of the complaint. Meta began selling verification badges several years ago, allowing fan-run accounts to acquire the mark that for years signaled an official, authentic entity. The miagoth_ account was labeled as fan-run but still carried the badge.
Tripicchio called the verification criteria 'disconcerting on a fundamental level' and said the platform appeared to prioritize the spread of manipulated images over protecting a public figure's likeness.
“The fact that this fan account meets Instagram's criteria to qualify for a 'blue check' is disconcerting on a fundamental level. Beyond that, it is incomprehensible that Instagram evidently prioritizes the dissemination of forged and manipulated images over the protection and integrity of a public figure's likeness.”— Christine Tripicchio, Representative for Mia Goth
As of Tuesday morning, the miagoth_ account appears to have been wiped from Instagram. Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Verge.
Meta's policy approach has been to label some generative AI content rather than ban AI depictions of real people. The rules require AI labels on photorealistic AI videos of people but carve out still images, which is the format of the Goth photo. Company executives have signaled that AI-generated content will be central to how users engage on its platforms going forward.
The episode fits a pattern entertainers have flagged for years. In 2024, Scarlett Johansson said OpenAI used a soundalike for a ChatGPT voice after she declined to work with the company. The same year, Taylor Swift cited AI-generated images of her posted by Donald Trump as a reason she publicly endorsed Kamala Harris, saying she needed to combat misinformation about her vote.
The Goth case tightens the question for Meta: a paid verification badge, attached to a fan account posting synthetic images of a real person, is enough to move a fake into mainstream entertainment coverage. The platform's current rules do not require a label on that kind of still image, and takedown appears to have followed media attention rather than the complaints Goth's team says it filed earlier.
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