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Deepfake Deception: TikTok Flooded with Fake Videos of Jake Paul Coming Out
9 Oct
Summary
- Realistic deepfake videos of Jake Paul coming out as gay went viral on TikTok in October 2025
- Paul shared the fake videos on his own TikTok to promote his energy drink brand
- Many TikTok users were fooled by the AI-generated footage, calling it "dangerous"
In October 2025, TikTok users were inundated with a series of deepfake videos depicting YouTuber and professional boxer Jake Paul coming out as gay. The ultra-realistic footage, generated using OpenAI's text-to-video model Sora, showed Paul draped in LGBTQ+ Pride flags, dancing in a tutu, and delivering impassioned speeches about his sexuality.
Many TikTok commenters were fooled by the deepfakes, with some expressing concern over the power of AI technology. "Bro how is this AI, I'm cooked," wrote one user, while another warned, "This is actually so dangerous." However, Paul himself seemed to take the viral trend in stride, sharing several of the fake videos on his official TikTok account as a way to promote his Celsius energy drink brand.
"AI is getting out of hand," Paul complained in one video, splicing the deepfake footage with real clips of himself. The boxer's fiancée, Olympic speed skater Jutta Leerdam, was less amused, directly replying to one of the deepfakes with a simple "HELP."
Despite the realistic nature of the videos, Paul has never publicly come out as gay. In 2019, he live-streamed a non-legally binding "wedding" to fellow YouTuber Tana Mongeau, and in 2025 he confirmed his engagement to Leerdam. The deepfake trend appears to have been a creative attempt to troll the boxer, who has faced criticism in the past for making transphobic comments.
