The report has turned out to be an elaborate hoax involving the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
A report circulating about a 22-year-old actor named Saint Von Colucci dying after undergoing 12 cosmetic procedures to look like BTS' Jimin has turned out to be an elaborate hoax involving the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
News of the alleged death was first reported on April 24 by the Daily Mail and has now been pulled.
The report was picked up by multiple mainstream publications worldwide including The Independent, TMZ and leading news agencies in South Korea.
According to Variety, it is possible that many outlets accepted the news after a similar incident in 2022 which involved British influencer Oli London admitting to undergoing multiple surgeries to look like Jimin.
The report came from two press releases sent by a group called The Hype Company PR to journalists via email.
In the releases, it is stated that Colucci had spent US$220,000 (RM979,110) for 12 surgeries – including jaw surgery, a nose job, a face lift, lip reduction, an eyebrow lift, eye lift and other minor surgeries.
The email also contained many links that would not load, including a link to Colucci's Instagram page, which had been deactivated and reactivated multiple times despite the actor already "passing away".
Raising more suspicion is the fact that the hospital Colucci was supposedly admitted to did not exist.
It is understood that the emails sent also had a link to a Drive folder containing before and after photos of Colucci's supposed cosmetic procedures.
Many suspected that the images were generated via AI. The Drive folder has since been emptied.
“The biggest clue (that the news was a hoax) was the press release announcing that Saint Von Colucci was ‘intubated’; an artist’s management would never do this,” said Rolling Stone India assistant editor Riddhi Chakraborty.
