6 days ago
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Vicky Pattison is reportedly 'distraught' over the backlash to her deepfake porn documentary, Vicky Pattison: My Deepfake Sex Tape.
The Geordie Shore alum promoted the upcoming Channel 4 documentary by superimposing her own face onto a performer taking part in a sex act in a fake video on X.
The 37-year-old had aimed to highlight the struggles deepfake porn victims face in the 'increasingly disturbing' trend, but has left some survivors 'deeply offended' with the material.
Vicky wants to shake off her old partying image and follow in the career of other reality stars turned documentary hosts like Love Island's Zara McDermott, sources claimed.
However the MTV star is said to be regretting the 'topic' of the documentary and fearing she hasn't been 'taken seriously'.
'Vicky is distraught about the response. She wants to be seen as a serious documentary reporter,' a source told The Mirror.
Vicky Pattison is reportedly 'distraught' over the backlash to her deepfake porn documentary, Vicky Pattison: My Deepfake Sex Tape
She released a fake sex tape to promote the show, which had her face superimposed onto a performer engaging in a sex act
The insider added: 'She wanted this to be the beginning of her career in documentaries, following in the footsteps of Zara McDermott.
'She’s very upset and hurt that she’s been attacked over this documentary, when she was trying to do some good.'
Deepfake porn is the latest in a long line of methods of sexual abuse of women online.
Vicky directed and produced the deepfake porn footage of herself and released the video on social media to show the way the content spreads online and how these images and videos are taken down.
In her own video, to ensure that the production of it was fully consensual, her likeness in the video was portrayed by an actor, with AI technology used to insert Vicky's face.
The clip appeared to show Vicky engaged in a sex act with a man while first wearing a bra and then later, topless.
She said: 'I am hugely passionate about women's issues, and have found myself increasingly disturbed by how prevalent the problem of deepfake porn is becoming.
'This is just the latest trend in the abuse of women and having met some of the inspirational women who have put their lives back together after being victims of sexually explicit deepfake abuse, I feel more strongly than ever that we need to stand with these women and continue to put pressure on the greater powers within the government to catch up with the speed at which this technology is advancing.'
Vicky had wanted to raise awareness around the 'disturbing' trend and shake off her old partying image
A deepfake victim called the footage 'disrespectful' and said they were 'deeply offended' by it
She continued: 'As part of the documentary, I have made the challenging decision to release my own deepfake sex tape online, which I directed and produced with actors to ensure the process was fully consensual from start to finish.
'I wrestled with this decision for a long time, mulling over the permanence of it, and ultimately coming to accept the fact that this content may live online forever.
'Whilst I know this doesn't compare to the distress and horror actual victims feel when they discover this content of themselves, I hope it will give some insight into what they go through.'
She added that she wanted the documentary to raise awareness about the problem and encourage lawmakers and tech companies to 'provide stronger protections' to victims.
Earlier this week, a deepfake image abuse survivor named Jodie criticised Vicky's choice to create the porn video and claimed campaign groups 'strongly advised' against the idea.
'As a survivor of synthetic intimate image abuse, I feel deeply offended, let down, and disappointed by Channel 4’s decision to create and distribute a "deepfake" video of Vicky Pattison for her upcoming documentary,' she told The Sun.
'Survivor organisations, including those I work with, strongly advised against this approach, warning it could compromise her safety, increase traffic to the very websites profiting from non-consensual abuse, and undermine the fight for survivor-centered legislation.
'We have been campaigning tirelessly for a consent-based law to criminalise deepfake abuse, but this PR stunt fuels harmful narratives.'
Vicky wants to follow in the footsteps of other reality stars turned documentary hosts like Love Island's Zara McDermott (pictured on her BBC documentary, Disordered Eating)
The reality star is said to be worried she has picked the 'wrong topic' to make her foray into documentaries
A Channel 4 spokesperson said: 'This documentary hears directly from survivors of image-based abuse, to ensure that their stories are an important focus of the programme.
'The reality of deepfake abuse is an alarming and growing one, and this documentary, and the creation of Vicky’s consensual deepfake video, aims to tackle this issue.
'This comes at a crucial time when it is at the forefront of national conversation and the government is currently looking at legislation to address the deliberate exploitation of women online.
'Channel 4 has a long history of complex and challenging programming, and has a remit to explore difficult topics.'
It comes as the UK Government recently announced plans to criminalise the creation of sexually explicit deepfakes.
A Channel 4 News investigation from 2024 found that nearly 4000 celebrities have been victim of deepfake pornography.
In the documentary, Vicky will meet and speak to women not in the public eye, who have found themselves subject to image-based abuse.
These women are often targeted by friends, family and those closest to them.
Vicky Pattison: My Deepfake Sex Tape will be available to watch and stream on Channel 4 at 10pm on Tuesday 28th January
English (US) ·