Police say no sexual assault in viral ‘DoorDash Girl’ deepfake saga
So, a short clip of a Black delivery driver, someone who’s been called the “DoorDash Girl”, suddenly popped up on TikTok, Instagram, X and Reddit last month. In each version she seems to tell a scary story that ends with a claim of sexual assault. The wording in the two videos is almost identical, even down to how the alleged attacker is described, and that made a lot of people think the footage was AI-generated.
Some even whispered that DoorDash might have staged a deepfake. The posts appeared within days of each other, and the matching phrasing fed the idea that a single AI model had been reused. As the clips racked up millions of views, the story took on a life of its own, endless comment threads, a flood of memes, and a lot of speculation.
Police eventually got involved, reviewing the video and the surrounding claims. The technology is impressive, sure, but the bigger question now is whether any crime actually happened, which is why the police statement that follows matters.
Police also said they "determined that no sexual assault occurred." As the deepfakes gained virality across TikTok, Instagram, X, and Reddit, the assumption was that both videos were AI-generated because the talking points were eerily identical; some even speculated that DoorDash orchestrated an AI PR campaign against Henderson. DoorDash tells WIRED that the company is "aware of AI-generated content surrounding this case and in no way condones or supports it." In reality, a bot account, uimuthavohaj0g, dubbed the creator NDR Antonio V's DARVO response video over an AI-generated video using Larose's face and likeness. The bot account's deepfake video also uses an out-of-context clip from Henderson's original video in the background to further drive the point that Henderson fabricated her SA allegations to garner a "platform." After TikTok removed Henderson's original video, she posted that she attempted to upload it again, without the footage of the assailant.
But it was removed again, and she received a second strike. In the absence of the original footage, altered images from screenshots of her original TikTok video appeared to make it look like she opened the alleged perpetrator's residence to record him, instead violating his privacy. According to TikTok, the company removed Henderson's videos for displaying "content that shows or promotes sexual abuse and exploitation, including having, sharing, or creating intimate images (real or edited) of someone without their consent." Both of the charges against Henderson are class E felonies, with the potential penalty of up to four years in prison for each charge.
Police say there was no assault, but the clip keeps popping up. It all started when Livie Rose Henderson posted a TikTok from a delivery stop in Oswego, New York. She said the front door was left open and a man was sitting on a couch with his pants and underwear pulled down to his ankles.
The short film got the nickname “DoorDash Girl” and, somehow, racked up tens of millions of views on TikTok, Instagram, X and Reddit. Soon after, deep-fake versions showed up, their dialogue almost identical to the original, which led a lot of people to think AI had been used. A few users even floated the idea that DoorDash might have paid for the fake footage - but no proof has ever surfaced.
It’s still fuzzy whether the viral clips were truly AI-generated or just repurposed by creators chasing clicks. The episode also shines a light on how black creators can get caught in harmful storylines that spread trauma without any fact-checking. In the end, the only solid point is the police’s finding; everything beyond that is speculation.
Further Reading
- Papers with Code - Latest NLP Research - Papers with Code
- Hugging Face Daily Papers - Hugging Face
- ArXiv CS.CL (Computation and Language) - ArXiv
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Common Questions Answered
What did police determine about the alleged sexual assault in the “DoorDash Girl” deepfake saga?
Police concluded that no sexual assault occurred, stating their investigation found no evidence of any wrongdoing. Their findings directly contradict the claims made in the viral videos.
Who is Livie Rose Henderson and what role did she play in the “DoorDash Girl” story?
Livie Rose Henderson is the TikTok user who originally posted a video describing a delivery stop in Oswego, New York, where she claimed a customer’s door was open and a man was partially undressed on a couch. Her account sparked the “DoorDash Girl” moniker and the subsequent deep‑fake proliferation.
How did the “DoorDash Girl” videos spread across social media platforms, and which platforms were involved?
The videos quickly went viral on TikTok, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and Reddit, amassing tens of millions of views. Their rapid spread fueled speculation that the content was AI‑generated and led to the creation of deep‑fake versions.
What was DoorDash’s official response to the AI‑generated content surrounding the “DoorDash Girl” incident?
DoorDash said it is aware of the AI‑generated content related to the case and emphasized that it does not condone or support any such material. The company denied any involvement in staging or promoting the deep‑fake videos.