Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson is speaking out against artificial intelligence after a deepfake video featuring her likeness and other Jewish celebrities surfaced online. The 40-year-old actress is calling on lawmakers to take urgent action to regulate AI, warning of its growing potential for harm.
Ai Scarlett Johansson Video Leaked
The viral clip, reportedly created by Israeli AI expert Ori Bejerano, depicts more than 20 well-known figures wearing white T-shirts displaying a middle finger with a Star of David in the palm, along with Kanye West’s first name below it. Johansson condemned the fabricated footage in a statement to The Post on Wednesday.
“I was made aware by friends and family that an AI-generated video featuring my likeness is circulating online in response to antisemitic rhetoric,” she stated.
“As a Jewish woman, I strongly oppose antisemitism and all forms of hate speech,” she continued. “However, the ability of AI to amplify and spread misinformation is a far greater danger than any single individual. We must hold AI misuse accountable, regardless of the message it carries, or risk losing our grip on reality.”
Johansson, who has been personally affected by AI before, expressed growing concern about the technology’s dangers.
“I have, unfortunately, been a very public target of AI manipulation, but this issue affects everyone,” she added. “It’s alarming that the U.S. government has failed to enact necessary legislation to safeguard citizens against AI’s risks. I urge lawmakers to make AI regulation a top priority—this is not a partisan issue, but one that impacts the future of humanity.”
The Post reached out to Johansson’s representatives for further comment.
Johansson’s Past AI Controversy
This isn’t the first time the Oscar-nominated actress has spoken out about AI misuse. Last year, Johansson publicly criticized OpenAI after its ChatGPT voice assistant bore an uncanny resemblance to her own. Despite declining the company’s request to use her voice, she was shocked by the eerie similarities, leading OpenAI to remove the voice from its platform.
AI-Generated Video Targets Kanye West’s Antisemitism
The recent deepfake video featuring Johansson emerged in response to Kanye West’s latest controversies. The rapper, 47, has faced widespread backlash for selling swastika-emblazoned T-shirts on his Yeezy website and making inflammatory antisemitic remarks on social media.
Set to the Jewish folk song Hava Nagila, the AI-generated clip features public figures like Drake, Jerry Seinfeld, Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Black, former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Steven Spielberg, Mila Kunis, Ben Stiller, and David Schwimmer, all sporting the same T-shirt. The minute-long video concludes with an AI-generated Adam Sandler flipping off the camera before the message “Enough Is Enough” appears on-screen.
Ori Bejerano, who created the clip, defended its purpose in an Instagram post, writing, “It’s time to stop being silent and respond to anti-Semites like Kanye West in the strongest way possible.”
Widespread Condemnation of West’s Actions
David Schwimmer, one of the real celebrities in the video, recently denounced West’s behavior in a scathing Instagram post.
“I don’t know what’s worse—that he openly identifies as a Nazi, or that there isn’t enough outrage to ban him from social media,” the Friends star wrote.
West’s recent four-day social media tirade, in which he praised Adolf Hitler, declared himself a Nazi, and denied antisemitism’s existence, resulted in his X (formerly Twitter) account being removed.
Adding to the controversy, West aired a Super Bowl ad directing viewers to a merch store that only sold one item: a $20 swastika T-shirt.
The backlash has been swift—his talent agency has severed ties with him, Shopify has removed his online store, and the Anti-Defamation League issued a strong statement condemning his actions, asserting that “there’s no excuse” for his rhetoric.