LeBron James Draws a Line in the Sand Against AI Deepfake Misuse

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In a landmark move, NBA legend LeBron James is pushing back against the uncontrolled use of his image in AI-generated content, becoming one of the first major public figures to take direct legal action against a company facilitating deepfakes.

The Cease-and-Desist Letter

James's legal team has officially sent a cease-and-desist letter to FlickUp, the parent company of an AI image-generation tool known as Interlink AI. The action came after the tool was used to create and spread a series of bizarre and disturbing videos of the Lakers star.

According to a detailed report from 404 Media, FlickUp's founder, Jason Stacks, informed his Discord community about the legal notice in late June. The Interlink AI tool, which was hosted on the server, allowed users to make deepfake videos of several high-profile NBA players, including James, Stephen Curry, and Nikola Jokić.

Disturbing Deepfakes Go Viral

While some of the content created was harmless fun, many videos crossed a line into deeply unsettling territory. One of the most prominent deepfakes showed an AI-generated LeBron James embracing a pregnant belly. Another shocking video, which reportedly gained over 6.2 million views on Instagram, depicted a fake Sean "Diddy" Combs assaulting Stephen Curry in a prison scene, with an AI version of James standing passively in the background.

Company's Swift Response

Jason Stacks, the founder of FlickUp, confirmed that the legal action came from LeBron James's team. He stated that within 30 minutes of receiving the letter, he made the decision to "remove all realistic people from Interlink AI’s software." Stacks also posted a video to his Instagram account addressing the situation with a blunt admission of the trouble he was in: "I’m so f**ked."

A Growing Problem for Celebrities

LeBron James joins an expanding roster of celebrities whose digital likenesses have been exploited without their permission. Pop superstar Taylor Swift has been repeatedly targeted by deepfake pornography, and both Scarlett Johansson and Steve Harvey have publicly spoken out against the misuse of their images. They, along with others, have called for new laws to prevent such abuse. However, James’s decision to pursue legal action against the company that created the tool represents a significant new strategy in this ongoing battle.

The Push for Regulation

This incident highlights the urgent need for legislation to govern the creation and distribution of AI-generated content. Several bills are currently moving through the U.S. Congress to address this issue. The recently passed Take It Down Act makes it a crime to publish or threaten to publish nonconsensual intimate imagery, including AI-generated deepfakes.

Additionally, two other key proposals are on the table. The NO FAKES Act of 2025 aims to prevent the unauthorized AI replication of a person's voice and likeness, while the Content Origin Protection and Integrity from Edited and Deepfaked Media Act of 2025 is designed to protect original works and mandate transparency for AI-generated media. LeBron James's stand may serve as a powerful catalyst for lawmakers to enact these crucial protections.