Nicki Minaj calls out 'creepy' deepfake video of her and Tom Holland

10 July 2023, 18:31

Zendaya and Tom Holland enjoy Usher concert

By Katie Louise Smith

"What in the AI shapeshifting cloning conspiracy theory is this?!?!!"

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Listen, we all know and love the Nicki Minaj and Tom Holland meme, but deep fakes? Now that's going to far in Nicki's personal opinion.

In case you have no clue what's going on here, it all started back in 2019 when the internet came up with the joke that Nicki and Tom were in a relationship, and were expecting a baby. Of course, none of that is even remotely true, but the made-up narratives that kept going viral were so funny, the meme snowballed and still manages to pop up in conversation 4 years later.

Tom himself has even commented on the whole thing, telling Esquire: "This actually really stressed me out... and then I realised I've never met Nicki Minaj. So that was a big relief for me because I'm not ready to have kids."

Now, the meme has gone one step further. In a new ITVX's A.I. comedy series called 'Deep Fake Neighbour Wars', Tom and Nicki's likeness is used – and it seems that Nicki herself is not a fan.

Nicki Minaj calls out deepfake video of her and Tom Holland. Picture: @nickiminaj via Instagram, ITVX

Responding to a clip that shows the deep fake Tom and Nicki as a couple living in the UK, Nicki wrote: "HELP!!! What in the AI shapeshifting cloning conspiracy theory is this?!?!! I hope the whole internet get deleted!!!"

When a fan asked Nicki if her likeness and image could be used in this specific way without her permission, she responded: "I do not know! But as Queen of the British Monarchy & the commonwealth, I hereby abolish the internet. Effective @ 0900 military time tomorrow morning, 10th July, 20 hundred & 23. BON VOYAGE B***H."

In the short scene, deep fake Nicki and Tom appear in matching outfits after returning from their honeymoon, only to find deep fake Mark Zuckerberg had been sleeping in their house while they were gone.

HELP!!! What in the AI shapeshifting cloning conspiracy theory is this?!?!! I hope the whole internet get deleted!!! https://t.co/fFx1SDtj8o
— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) July 9, 2023

I do not know! But as Queen of the British Monarchy & the commonwealth, I hereby abolish the internet. Effective @ 0900 military time tomorrow morning, 10th July, 20 hundred & 23. BON VOYAGE BITCH https://t.co/sUEYdinLUo
— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) July 9, 2023

The Nicki and Tom clip was created for the series using A.I. technology that places celebrities' faces over real life actors and celebrity impersonators. (Wondering why the voices sound weird? It's because they're the actors' voices, not A.I. generated voices.)

The series also features deep fake Kim Kardashian as a bus driver and deep fake Idris Elba as a handyman/barman/mobile phone repairer/chef/delivery driver, as well as other deep fake versions of Jay-Z, Rihanna, Greta Thunberg, Ariana Grande and Stormzy.

Is it legal? Well, apparently so. But as the show explains right at the start of each episode with a huge disclaimer, it has to be made abundantly clear that the deep fake images are not real, and that the whole thing is a parody. The show also includes a 'DEEP FAKE" logo on the screen at all times.