Police say no sexual assault in viral ‘DoorDash Girl’ deepfake saga
Here's the thing: a clip of a Black delivery driver, dubbed the “DoorDash Girl,” exploded across TikTok, Instagram, X and Reddit last month. In each version, the woman appears to recount a harrowing encounter that ends with a sexual assault claim. The talking points line up so closely that viewers assumed the footage was AI‑generated, and some even whispered that DoorDash itself had staged the deepfake.
The two videos, posted within days of each other, mirrored each other's phrasing down to the description of the alleged attacker, fueling the belief that a single AI model had been repurposed. As the posts racked up millions of views, the narrative took on a life of its own, prompting endless comment threads and a flurry of memes. Law enforcement stepped in, reviewing the footage and the surrounding claims.
While the tech is impressive, the real question became whether any crime actually happened at all. That's 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 concluded no assault happened. Yet the clip still circulates. The episode began when Livie Rose Henderson posted a TikTok describing a delivery stop in Oswego, New York, where she claimed a customer’s front door was ajar and a man sat on a couch with his pants and underwear pulled down to his ankles.
The video quickly earned the moniker “DoorDash Girl” and amassed tens of millions of views across TikTok, Instagram, X and Reddit. As the story spread, deep‑fake versions appeared, their dialogue matching the original almost word for word, prompting many to assume the edits were AI‑generated. Some users even suggested DoorDash might have commissioned the synthetic footage, though no evidence has been presented to support that claim.
It's unclear whether the viral clips were indeed fabricated by artificial‑intelligence tools or simply repurposed by creators seeking attention. The saga also highlighted how black creators can become entangled in harmful narratives that amplify trauma without verification. Ultimately, the facts stop at the police determination; any further interpretation rests on speculation rather than confirmed data.
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.