rewrite this title Megan Thee Stallion Files Suit Against Influencer Over Deepfake Harassment – Decrypt

Rapper Megan Thee Stallion sued Milagro Gramz on Tuesday, alleging the Texas-based internet personality defamed her following a separate court case with Canadian rapper Tory Lanez.

Born Megan Pete, the rapper alleges Gramz (Milagro Cooper) stalked her online, causing emotional distress and spreading AI-generated deepfake pornography featuring her likeness.

In court documents filed in the Southern District Court of Florida, Pete’s attorneys acknowledged that while it’s unknown who created the deepfake video, they argue Cooper published a video on YouTube that addressed an X post related to the explicit content.

“The lengths to which Defendant Cooper goes to harass Ms. Pete knows no bounds, attorneys for Pete wrote. “In June 2024, Defendant Cooper encouraged her 27,000 X followers to view an X post by Bimbella that shared a doctored, artificially created video of Ms. Pete purportedly engaged in sexual acts without Ms. Pete’s knowledge or consent.”

It’s the latest development in the ongoing feud between Lanez and Pete, which began in 2020 when Lanez was charged with shooting Pete in the feet during an altercation in Los Angeles.

Lanez was convicted on three felony counts, including assault with a semiautomatic handgun, according to a report by the New York Times.

The complaint further asserts that Cooper’s alleged harassment was at the behest of Lanez (born Daystar Peterson) and accused Cooper of running an “online rumor mill” that spread false claims about Pete, including questioning the rapper’s mental state and having a “severe drinking problem.”

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Cooper said she was informed of the lawsuit by Pete’s attorney, Alex Spiro. “Of course, we’ll chat about it,” she wrote. “They threw in the tape, too.” Cooper did not say if she intends to counter-sue.

Attorneys for Pete are seeking compensatory and punitive damages, legal fees, and a court order to prevent future harassment by Cooper.

Pete’s lawsuit is the most recent concerning AI-generated deepfakes of high-profile artists.

Last year, actress Scarlett Johansson filed a lawsuit against image generator Lisa AI, which posted a deepfake of Johansson promoting the platform.

In May, Johansson, who starred as the voice of the AI Samantha in the 2013 film “Her,” took legal action against ChatGPT creator OpenAI after it released a voice-enabled version of the chatbot that sounded eerily similar to the actress.

Representatives for both Cooper and Pete did not immediately respond to Decrypt’s request for comment.

Edited by Sebastian Sinclair