Shein Faces Backlash Over AI-Generated Image of Alleged Murderer Luigi Mangione Modeling Shirt

Luigi Mangione's likeness used to model shirt on Shein

A spokesperson from Shein told BBC News: "The image in question was removed immediately upon discovery." "We have stringent standards for the content of listings on our platform", the spokesperson added. "We are conducting a thorough review and are strengthening our monitoring processes." It is not known for how long the image was used, or who the company was that was selling it on the Chinese company's website. Many online have speculated the image was created using artificial intelligence (AI) - but it remains unclear how the picture was made. In April, Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty to all federal charges brought over the fatal shooting of Mr Thompson. The 26-year-old, who was arrested in December, faces the charges of murder and stalking. His not guilty plea means he will face trial and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty if he is convicted. Public reaction to Mr Thompson's killing has shed light on privatised healthcare, and some have celebrated Mr Mangione as a folk hero, with supporters gathering outside the courthouse during his hearings. But this is not the first time his name or likeness has caused controversy for a company. In December, the BBC complained to Apple after the tech giant's new iPhone feature generated a false headline about the accused murderer. Apple Intelligence used AI to summarise and group together notifications. The summary falsely made it appear BBC News had published an article claiming he had shot himself - when he had not. A month later, Apple suspended the feature after the error and other mistakes. His lawyers have not commented on the use of his image on Shein.

Shein Uses Likely AI-Generated Luigi Mangione to Model Shirts

This summer's style is anti-capitalist chic, brought to you by Shein. The retailer is currently investigating how an image of Luigi Mangione, the man accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson late last year, ended up on the face of a model, according to the BBC. The image of Mangione, smiling and looking ready for a beach day in a short-sleeve floral print shirt, seems to have popped up on the fast-fashion giant's website sometime this past week and caught the eye of shoppers. The BBC ran the image through a facial recognition tool and found it had a 99.9% match with images of Mangione, though the publication did indicate it's not clear if the image is AI-generated or was made using manual photo editing tools. But these days, why would you go through all the Photoshop trouble? Regardless, the image has since been removed, but it has been documented via the Internet Archive. Shein said it's launching an investigation into how this happened. "The image in question was provided by a third-party vendor and was removed immediately upon discovery, the company told the BBC. "We have stringent standards for all listings on our platform," it said following a pretty clear example of lax enforcement of those standards. The company also said that it plans to strengthen its monitoring processes and "will take appropriate action against the vendor in line with our policies." Shein didn't name the vendor in question, but 404 Media reported the shirt was being sold by a brand called Manfinity with the very wordy product description of “Men's New Spring/Summer Short Sleeve Blue Ditsy Floral White Shirt, Pastoral Style Gentleman Shirt For Everyday Wear, Family Matching Mommy And Me (3 Pieces Are Sold Separately).†Catchy! Manfinity apparently regularly uses AI-generated models, per 404 Media, which spotted some generative gym bros selling t-shirts and gym attire, some of which are more convincingly designed than others. The report also spotted a number of AI models used by other brands that sell on Shein. The fast fashion company has also been the subject of lawsuits alleging that it has scraped work from artists online and sold products that directly copy the creative works. The use of Mangoine's likeness to sell products definitely isn't just limited to Shein. He's become something of a folk hero for his alleged crime. Merchandise featuring his image and messages of support for him started flooding platforms like Etsy shortly after his arrest, with sellers donating portions of sales to his legal defense efforts. Seems unlikely that any funds from the Shein sales will be going to Mangoine, rather just using his recognizable face to get attention. If so, mission accomplished.

'AI Image' of Luigi Mangione Modeling a Shirt Appears on Shein Website

An image of Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has appeared on the Shein website showing him modeling a shirt for the fashion brand's spring/summer clothing line. The man in the image is a dopplegänger for Mangione, who currently resides at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York. It is unlikely he's done any modeling for the Chinese clothing company so it appears the image is edited or AI-generated. "The image in question was provided by a third-party vendor and was removed immediately upon discovery," Shein says in a statement provided to the media. "We have stringent standards for all listings on our platform. We are conducting a thorough investigation, strengthening our monitoring processes, and will take appropriate action against the vendor in line with our policies." It is also unclear exactly how long the shirt has been on sale for, but social media users began noticing the image on Tuesday before TMZ ran the story yesterday. In all likelihood, the image probably is AI. His face and skin have a sheen to it common with AI and the fingers on his right hand appear to be stuck together. "The image is low resolution, but there are a few signs that it might be AI-generated or manipulated," Henry Ajder, a generative AI expert, tells the BBC. "This includes the lighting and texturing of the image, particularly of the skin, as well the appearance of a blob-like artifact above the right forearm. The right hand also doesn't appear to show typical segmentation of the fingers." The 27-year-old was arrested in December over the fatal shooting of Thompson. In April, he pleaded not guilty to all federal counts and is awaiting trial. If found guilty, he could face the death penalty. Despite the heinous crime he is accused of, many have rallied around Mangione, celebrating him as a hero, because of his alleged target. While the Mangione image is low-effort, the fashion industry appears to be embracing AI technology at an alarming rate. Earlier this week, it was revealed that the brand J.Crew used AI for a series of images that look like real photos.

Shein Caught Using CEO Killer Luigi Mangione as a Male "Mommy And Me" Model

In the roughly eight years since it burst onto the global e-commerce scene, the uber-cheap fast fashion marketplace Shein has been accused of everything from stealing designs and requiring exploitatively grueling shifts to forcing China's Uyghur minority to work at its facilities, and even working with suppliers that used child labor. Now, the Chinese-founded and Singapore-based online megaretailer is again under scrutiny due to a product listing whose model looks a lot like Luigi Mangione, the 20-something alleged assassin of United HealthCare CEO Brian Thompson last December. First spotted and tweeted out by Pop Crave, a massively popular X account that has become something of a news wire for the social media set, the fast fashion site's use of Mangione's likeness led to immediate derision online. "Seriously," remarked Tarence Ray of the "Trillbillies" podcast in a post on X, "how is this guy supposed to get a fair trial at this point[?]" "Prison industrial complex meets fast fashion industrial complex," bemoaned Megan Hunt, a state senator from Nebraska, in another X post. "So bleak. I hope he sues them." Beyond the well-deserved chiding, many suggested that the beloved alleged murderer's face had been placed in the ad using AI tech. If that's the case, it unfortunately wouldn't be the first time Mangione's case has intersected with the tech: in the wake of his capture last year, people online began making chatbots based on him, including ones that called for the murder of more CEOs. One thing's for sure: the real Mangione definitely didn't sit for a photoshoot, because he's currently awaiting trial in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York. As another X user noted, it's bad enough that someone's "face can be used, without consent, to promote products that [they've] never even touched thanks" to AI, but also that whoever made the product photo used the "image of an incarcerated individual who has already lost all autonomy," is darker still. Yet another X user posted one of the most salient points of the whole scandal: that a "multi-million dollar fast fashion company [is] using the face of an anti-elite individual to model their products through AI," which is an affront indeed. In a statement to Newsweek after the image went viral, a representative from Shein claimed that the "image in question was provided by a third-party vendor and was removed immediately upon discovery." "We have stringent standards for all listings on our platform," the Shein statement continued. "We are conducting a thorough investigation, strengthening our monitoring processes, and will take appropriate action against the vendor in line with our policies." As an archived version of the product page shows, the item -- sold by a brand called "Manfinity" -- is described in the inscrutable patois of fast fashion: "Men's New Spring/Summer Short Sleeve Blue Ditsy Floral White Shirt, Pastoral Style Gentleman Shirt For Everyday Wear, Family Matching Mommy And Me (3 Pieces Are Sold Separately.)" Whether Manfinity was the "third-party vendor" behind the since-kiboshed product image, we can't be sure -- though we've emailed the brand just to check.

Shein Accidentally Casts Alleged CEO Assassin Luigi Mangione as Its AI Model - Decrypt

The incident adds to a growing list of AI-generated ad disasters, from deepfake influencers to celebrity likeness lawsuits. The marketing team at Shein probably thought they'd found the perfect model: chiseled jawline, brooding eyes, the kind of face that could sell low-quality shirts to anyone scrolling at 2 a.m. There was just one problem -- their AI-generated hunk was Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old charged with killing UnitedHealthcare's CEO last December. The shirt, a basic cotton one, appeared on Shein's website with what AI researcher Henk van Ess identified as a likely Midjourney creation. Facial recognition tools confirmed the match. Within hours of going viral, the listing vanished faster than Shein's return policy fine print. "We are aware of the product and have removed it from our site," a Shein spokesperson told TMZ. The company blamed an third-party vendor, shirking blame without identifying the supplier in question. The shirt reportedly sold out before anyone at Shein noticed their new model's resemblance to the most wanted man in America last week. But of course, you can access the advertisement if you visit the Wayback Machine. Shein promised "appropriate action" against the vendor, which probably means finding a supplier who can generate fake models that don't accidentally replicate people on FBI watchlists. The incident sparked the usual X pile-on, with users torn between horror and grudging admiration for whatever algorithm thought "alleged CEO killer" was the right aesthetic for budget casualwear. Shein's algorithmic face-plant joins a growing gallery of AI mishaps, including Scarlett Johansson, who practically made herself the fake face of the anti-deepfake movement. The famed actress threatened to sue OpenAI over a suspiciously familiar voice assistant. She then sued Lisa AI for making an AI companion using her image. And later, her likeness was included without her consent in a fully AI-generated campaign featuring different Jewish artists wearing a t-shirt giving Kanye West the middle finger. Just reecently, gaming company Nexon got caught using AI influencers in TikTok ads for The First Descendant. "These AI ads make me sad and worried for the future of the game," one Redditor wrote. "The worst part of this all is that whoever is in control of the Official TFD TikTok accounts is aware of the backlash against the AI ads and has gone out of their way to ignore and hide it. They have been deleting and reuploading the AI videos whenever they get too much backlash in the comments." Regulators are scrambling to catch up, but so far, regulation is crawling while AI sprints.

Shein pulls listing that used Luigi Mangione's likeness to model a shirt

Luigi Mangione on Feb. 21 in New York.Curtis Means / Pool via Getty Images file Shein said it has pulled a listing from its popular shopping platform after Luigi Mangione's likeness was used to model a shirt. Mangione, 27, is accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024. He has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of murder, two counts of stalking and a firearms offense for allegedly using a silencer. On Tuesday, a photo of someone who appeared to be Mangione modeling a $11.69 short-sleeve men's white, button-down shirt picked up traction online, where people expressed confusion or outrage as they circulated a screenshot of the listing. The photo appeared to be fake or AI-generated, as Mangione is currently in federal prison awaiting trial. It's unclear when the shirt was first made available for purchase online. But prior to the listing's removal, three of the four sizes were already sold out, according to an archived version of the listing. A Shein spokesperson told NBC News that the image of Mangione was listed by a third-party vendor and was pulled offline immediately upon discovery. "We have stringent standards for all listings on our platform," the spokesperson said. "We are conducting a thorough investigation, strengthening our monitoring processes, and will take appropriate action against the vendor in line with our policies." Manfinity, the menswear vendor who sold the shirt in question, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Its website contains multiple images that appear to be AI-generated. Its support email bounces back, and the Detroit street address listed on its site doesn't appear to exist. Attorneys for Mangione declined to comment. As increasingly sophisticated AI-generated photos populate the internet, brands have stirred controversy in recent years for using such images to advertise their products. In July, Vogue faced backlash when its upcoming issue contained a Guess advertisement that featured an AI-generated model. Many celebrities -- including Taylor Swift, Tom Hanks and Scarlett Johansson -- have also had their likenesses used to peddle products without their knowledge or consent, typically through AI deepfakes that make it appear as if they were reviewing or backing the product themselves. Mangione was quickly condemned by institutional leaders after Thompson was fatally shot. But he also became something of a folk hero to those who found justification and vindication in his alleged act of violence. The polarizing killing incited a weekslong debate over corporate health care policies that have disillusioned many Americans. After the Shein listing picked up viral attention online, some online expressed outrage around the idea that Mangione would be used as a selling point for the Chinese-owned fast fashion company. Mangione is particularly popular in China, where social media users have openly expressed adoration for him on apps like RedNote. But his popularity has also been commercialized on American platforms before. In the days after the shooting last year, e-commerce sites like Amazon, Etsy and eBay cracked down on fan-made merch featuring his likeness.

Luigi Mangione appears on Shein as a model for a gentleman's shirt

On Tuesday night, if you were browsing Shein's selection of "pastoral style gentleman shirts for every day," you might have noticed a familiar face modeling the clothing: a smiling Luigi Mangione. Mangione, the prime suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, is currently in jail at the Brooklyn Federal Prison as he awaits trial. Given his imprisonment, it's unlikely that Mangione posed for the photo or even knew his likeness was being used. Shein regularly uses AI to generate models for its site and to power its fast-fashion business by projecting consumer demand, instituting dynamic pricing, and getting consumers' recommendations to help them navigate the thousands of clothes available on the site. It's possible that the unusual choice of model could be chalked up to the actions of a rogue employee or vendor (Mangione has become, to some, a folk hero) -- especially as the lighting on the face and awkward positioning of the head on the body suggests photoshopping rather than AI generation.

Luigi Mangione's Likeness Used to Model Shirt on Shein

The fast-fashion retailer Shein has removed a photo of what appeared to be Luigi Mangione modeling a short-sleeve button-down shirt and launched an investigation. The listing was widely clocked on the online retailer's website yesterday, though it's unclear how long it had been up. The shirt was being worn by a model that looked strikingly like the 27-year-old accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last year. As the BBC notes, the shirt was selling for just under $10. In a statement, a Shein spokesperson said the platform had nothing to do with the image, saying it was "provided by a third-party vendor and was removed immediately upon discovery." The spokesperson continued: "We are conducting a thorough investigation, strengthening our monitoring processes, and will take appropriate action against the vendor in line with our policies." The alleged third-party vendor was not identified. Lawyers for Mangione did not immediately return a request for comment. It's unclear exactly how the image was generated, whether it was using artificial intelligence or if it was more of an old-school Photoshop job. One AI expert told the BBC the image had a tell-tale signs of AI generation or manipulation, such as "the lighting and texturing of the image, particularly of the skin, as well as the appearance of a blob-like artifact above the right forearm. The right hand also doesn't appear to show typical segmentation of the fingers." Shein is far from the first online retailer to run into trouble with third-party vendors hocking controversial wares or flouting policy standards. Back in 2024, for instance, Walmart was forced to remove a pair of T-shirts for the infamous white-power band Skrewdriver uploaded by a third-party. Online retailers have been forced to deal with Mangione-specific merchandise, too, much of it catering to those who have turned Mangione into something of a folk hero in light of their immense dissatisfaction with America's privatized healthcare system. After his arrest late last year, Mangione merch -- everything from coffee mugs to t-shirts -- quickly flooded sites like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy, with all three retailers moving quickly to take the listings down.

Fast-fashion giant Shein using Luigi Mangione's likeness to model...

Fast-fashion giant Shein has sparked outrage after it appeared to use a likeness of suspected UnitedHealthcare CEO assassin Luigi Mangione to advertise a shirt, with one user calling it "genuinely f-king diabolical." An image seemingly showing the alleged killer modeling a white, short-sleeved shirt went viral after it was spotted on the Chinese company's website. The image of the shirt -- which was reportedly retailing for just over $10 -- was later taken down, and the company said it has launched an investigation. It isn't exactly clear when and for how long the shirt was on sale, as Shein uploads thousands of products every day. An archived posting of the product description for the "Men's New Spring/Summer Short Sleeve Blue Ditsy Floral White Shirt" on sale for $11.69, reduced from $14.79, shows it was nearly sold out, with only nine left in stock, all size XXL. Other grabs from Shein's website appear to show Mangione's likeness being used to market other products, with many suggesting the adverts are AI-generated. Shein, a Chinese-founded company, has proven extremely popular with Gen Z and younger millennials by advertising cheap, fast-moving fashion trends. However, Shein has come under heavy criticism over its business practices -- including alleged forced labor in its factories, along with the destructive financial impact of fast fashion -- allegations it has denied. "The image in question was provided by a third-party vendor and was removed immediately upon discovery," a Shein spokesperson told The Post. "We have stringent standards for all listings on our platform. We are conducting a thorough investigation, strengthening our monitoring processes, and will take appropriate action against the vendor in line with our policies." The ad sparked confusion and anger on social media. "Shein using AI pictures of Luigi Mangione on their website to model their clothes (insane way to start a sentence) is genuinely f-king diabolical," one user wrote on X. "[I] knew that was a trash a- company, but Jesus Christ," one X user wrote. "Fashion's gone wild. A seller on Shein is using pictures of Luigi Mangione to sell shirts," wrote a second. "Sellers on Shein will do anything for attention," a third user added. Mangione, 27, was arrested in December and charged with the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel. In April, he pleaded not guilty to all federal counts, including murder and stalking, and is awaiting trial. Prosecutors have said they will pursue the death penalty if he is found guilty.

Online retailer pulls down listing that used Luigi Mangione's likeness

Shein pulled down the listing and launched an investigation after it was posted on the fast fashion website showing a man modelling a white short-sleeved shirt. It has been speculated that AI was used to create the image, although its origins are unclear. BBC Verify reported a 99.9 per cent similarity score between the photo and one of the accused assassin in court. Speaking to the British broadcaster, Henry Adjer, an expert in generative AI, pointed to several markers that indicated the photo could have been made using the technology. "The image is low resolution, but there are a few signs that it might be AI-generated or manipulated," he said. A spokesman for Shein said the image in question had since been removed from the site. "We have stringent standards for all listings on our platform," the spokesman said. "We are conducting a thorough investigation, strengthening our monitoring processes, and will take appropriate action against the vendor in line with our policies." Mangione is awaiting trial in federal court for allegedly murdering UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel on December 4 last year.