Janhvi Kapoor, the talented Bollywood actress, recently shared a disturbing experience from her teenage years that still affects her today. At 15, while in school, she stumbled upon a morphed picture of herself on a porn website. The incident left her shaken, and even now, she faces AI-generated images of herself circulating online.
Janhvi recalled the incident, saying, “I don’t know if it was a deepfake, but it was something like that. I saw a picture of me on a porn site.” She found the picture during an IT class in school, where boys would often visit such sites. “My pictures were on there. And this was in school. So that was a weird experience,” she added.At the time, Janhvi tried to rationalize the incident, thinking it was a cost of being online. “At some point, I was like this is the cost you have to pay. There is no morality in a lot of these things with social media,” she said.
However, her perspective has changed, and she now acknowledges the emotional impact of such experiences. Janhvi admitted that AI-generated images of her still circulate online, deeply affecting her. She feels hesitant to speak out, citing perceptions of privilege and potential backlash. “It upsets me, of course. But I feel like I don’t have that much of a voice to complain,” she said.
Many women in the film industry have also faced similar deepfakes, highlighting the need for change.Janhvi’s experience sheds light on the darker side of social media and the internet. Her story serves as a reminder of the importance of online safety, consent, and respect for individuals’ digital presence. As she bravely shares her story, it sparks a conversation about the need for accountability and support for those affected by online harassment.