Bogus social media ad uses an edited video of Kelly Clarkson to sell weight-loss gummies
Singer and talk show host Kelly Clarkson poses with a replica of her new star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during a ceremony in her honor on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022, in Los Angeles. A clip and comments from Clarkson’s Instagram page have been edited to add fake promotions for weight-loss gummies. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
CLAIM: A video on Kelly Clarkson’s Instagram page shows the singer promoting weight-loss gummies.
AP’S ASSESSMENT: Altered video. A clip and comments promoting the release of Clarkson’s latest album on her real Instagram account in June have been edited to add fake promotions for the diet product. Clarkson’s publicist told The Associated Press that the performer is not a spokesperson for any weight loss products or programs.
THE FACTS: Some on social media are using the fabricated clip to make it seem as though Clarkson is endorsing a product with which she has no affiliation, duping users into clicking a link to buy weight-loss gummies.
“Hello, this is Kelly Clarkson and I want to share something incredible with you,” the singer appears to say as she looks directly at the camera. “As you know, I’ve always strived to stay fit and take care of my health. Recently I’ve started using a product from a renowned pharmaceutical company and I’ve been absolutely amazed by the results.”
Clarkson supposedly adds: “Trust my experience and let’s achieve fantastic results together.”
The synthetic video is being shared as though it was taken directly from Clarkson’s Instagram page. A caption attributed to the singer reads, “Click find out ‘Learn more’ what to find out how I managed it,” above comments thanking Clarkson for her supposed advice.
But the host of “The Kelly Clarkson Show” hasn’t published anything of the sort.
Instead, a video she posted on Instagram in June to promote the release of her latest album, “Chemistry,” has been doctored to include false audio mimicking the artist’s voice. In the actual clip, Clarkson expresses excitement about the project and speaks about how she hopes it will help people get through hard times.
Clicking the link below the posts also takes users to a page bearing a fabricated Facebook post made to look like it was from Clarkson’s page, but is actually an ad for diet gummies.
Melissa Kates, Clarkson’s publicist, told the AP in an email that the artist “does not have any affiliation as a spokesperson” for any “weight loss products/programs.”
While it’s unclear exactly how the fabricated video was made, new artificial intelligence tools can allow internet users to quickly and easily generate audio simulating another person’s voice.
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This is part of AP’s effort to address widely shared misinformation, including work with outside companies and organizations to add factual context to misleading content that is circulating online. Learn more about fact-checking at AP.
