Channel Nine presenter Richard Wilkins has enlisted the help of lawyers after a fake photo of him being arrested went viral on social media.
The doctored image which was displayed in sponsored posts on social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram, showed Wilkins being handcuffed by three police officers in a Sydney park.
Although the photos are fake, many socal users were duped by the series of images.
Wilkins’ son Christian first alerted his followers to the prank last Friday, reassuring fans that his father had not been arrested. After speaking to 2GB’s Ben Fordham Live about the incident, Wilkins confirmed that he had engaged lawyers to stop the photo from being circulated.
Wilkins also revealed that his image had been used without his permission in a financial scam.
“It never happened. It’s complete BS. The thought of anyone investing in anything because I was recommending it is quite disturbing, and I’d hate to think that was happening,”
Despite seeking help from Nine’s legal team and contacting Facebook’s parent company Meta, the issue has only gotten worse. The fake photo, which used AI-generated technology to superimpose Wilkins’ face onto a criminal’s body, showed the Weekend Today presenter looking alarmed as he was arrested and handcuffed by police officers.
Christian made a lighthearted joke about his father’s fashion choices in his Instagram post, saying:
“There’s no way Richard Wilkins would be seen not wearing skinny jeans.”
