Actress Mia Goth is pushing back after an AI-generated image of her circulated unchecked for days on a verified Instagram fan account.
The fabricated photo appeared to show Goth in a shirt reading “My Ex Is My Biggest Fan.” The account, operating under the handle @miagoth_, carried a blue verification badge despite Goth having no public social media presence. The image gained traction shortly after news broke that Goth and her former partner, actor Shia LaBeouf, were filing for divorce.
Goth rose to prominence through Ti West’s horror trilogy, leading X (2022), Pearl (2022), and MaXXXine (2024). The English actress and LaBeouf share a four-year-old daughter, Isabel.
Although the profile identified itself as a fan account, its verified badge — a marker typically reserved for notable public figures — created confusion. Instagram’s introduction of Meta Verified, a subscription service offering nearly identical badges, has further blurred the distinction. The lack of clarity reportedly led People to publish a since-removed article treating the post as authentic.
Christine Tripicchio, a spokesperson for Goth, described the image’s spread as “disconcerting” in a statement to The Verge.
“The fact that this fan account meets Instagram’s criteria to qualify for a ‘blue check’ is disconcerting on a fundamental level,” Tripicchio said. “Beyond that, it is incomprehensible that Instagram evidently prioritizes the dissemination of forged and manipulated images over the protection and integrity of a public figure’s likeness.”
The account, which had amassed over one million followers, appears to have been removed. However, AI-generated content remains a significant challenge for social platforms. Under current Instagram policies, AI-generated profiles and content are permitted but must carry a banner disclosing their synthetic nature.
