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‘Simpsons’-style image of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is an ‘AI fake,’ showrunner says
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This image is an "AI fake," according to "The Simpsons" showrunner Matt Selman.
Federal agents recently raided two homes of Sean Combs, the hip-hop mogul known as Diddy, confiscating computers and other devices. Meanwhile, Combs is the subject of multiple civil lawsuits accusing him of violating sex trafficking laws.
In May, CNN published video of Combs assaulting his then-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura, in a hotel in 2016, for which he apologized. Ventura also filed a lawsuit against Combs, which was settled in November; CNN said eight lawsuits have been filed against him since November.
Did the television show "The Simpsons" foresee Combs’ legal troubles?
Recent social media posts claim it did.
"The Simpsons predicted the future again," a May 23 Facebook post said, showing a photo of Combs wearing a pink suit on a red carpet in 2022 alongside a cartoon in "The Simpsons" style of a man in a pink suit running from police.
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"Did the Simpsons predict Diddy’s downfall?" a May 24 post said, showing the same photo and cartoon.
These posts were flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
Featured Fact-check
The cartoon isn’t an authentic image from "The Simpsons." The cartoon’s showrunner, Matt Selman, told TMZ the image is an "AI fake." (AI stands for artificial intelligence.)
"Any goofball can whip up an AI image based on a current event and say ‘The Simpsons predicted it!’" TMZ quoted Selman as saying. "And decent-but-easily-misled folks will believe it because they so very want it to be true."
Social media users have often wanted to declare "The Simpsons" an oracle, falsely crediting the show with foreseeing account glitches at Bank of America, Queen Elizabeth II’s death, actor Tom Hanks’ contracting of COVID-19 and the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
We rate claims "The Simpsons" predicted Combs’ current legal troubles False.
Our Sources
Facebook post, May 23, 2024
Facebook post, May 24, 2024
The New York Times, Sean Combs’s legal troubles: what we know, May 19, 2024
TMZ, 'Simpsons' showrunner show didn’t predict Diddy, slams viral image as AI fake, May 23, 2024
Getty Images, 2022 BET Awards - Arrivals, June 26, 2022
CNN, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs says he is ‘truly sorry’ for physically assaulting Cassie Ventura in 2016, May 19, 2024
CNN, Exclusive: A federal grand jury may soon hear from Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ accusers, May 29, 2024
PolitiFact, No, the Simpsons didn’t predict the Capitol riots. Those images are edited, Jan. 8, 2021
PolitiFact, ‘The Simpsons’ did not predict Tom Hanks’ illness from coronavirus, March 16, 2020
PolitiFact, Bank run in 'The Simpsons' episode didn’t foretell Bank of America account glitch, March 16, 2023
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‘Simpsons’-style image of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is an ‘AI fake,’ showrunner says
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