Channel Nine star Richard Wilkins breaks his silence on viral ‘arrest photos’ as he reveals his lawyers are involved
Richard Wilkins has called in the lawyers after a fake photo of him being arrested in a Sydney park went viral on social media last week.
The Channel Nine presenter was handcuffed by three police officers in an image either Photoshopped or created using AI technology.
Although the picture was clearly fake, many Facebook users fell for it.
After his son Christian alerted his followers to the manipulated image last Friday, Richard spoke to 2GB’s Ben Fordham Live about the prank this morning.
“I don’t know what to do about it. It’s been like this for a while,” he said.
Richard Wilkins (right, with his son Christian) has called in the lawyers after a fake photo of him being arrested in a Sydney park went viral on social media last week
Richard, who has hired lawyers to prevent the photo from being distributed, revealed that his image was also used in a financial scam without his permission.
‘It never happened. It’s complete BS. The thought of anyone investing in anything because I recommended it is quite unsettling and I would hate to think of that happening,” he added.
Despite seeking help from Nine’s legal team and contacting Meta, Facebook’s parent company, the problem has only “worsened”.
After his son Christian alerted his followers to the manipulated image last Friday, Richard spoke to 2GB’s Ben Fordham Live about the prank this morning
In the fake viral image circulated last week, the Weekend Today presenter looks alarmed as he is arrested and handcuffed by police officers in a Sydney park.
Two of the officers hold his arms while a third appears to be filing a complaint.
But the photo wasn’t all it seemed: the realistic image was actually an AI-generated image, with Richard’s face overlaid on a criminal’s body.
His son Christian alerted his Instagram followers to the fake photo last Friday, assuring fans his father had not been arrested.
He also made a light-hearted joke about his father’s fashion choices, saying: “For those wondering, yes these posts are fake.
“There’s no way Richard Wilkins would be seen without skinny jeans.”
In the fake viral image circulated last week, the Weekend Today presenter looks alarmed as he is arrested and handcuffed by police officers in a Sydney park