Vicky Pattison has spoken out about the backlash she's received over her decision to release a deepfake sex tape of herself.
Pattison, 37, created the video for her new documentary, Vicky Pattison: My Deepfake Sex Tape, which explores the concerning increase of deepfake videos and the impact they are having on victims.
Deepfakes are usually video or audio media that manipulate the appearance or voice of a person, ultimately creating fake content.
“I am hugely passionate about women’s issues and have found myself increasingly disturbed by how prevalent the problem of deepfake porn is becoming,” said Pattison.
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“This is just the latest trend in the abuse of women and having met some of the inspirational women who have put their lives back together after being victims of sexually-explicit deepfake abuse, I feel more strongly than ever that we need to stand with these women and continue to put pressure on the greater powers within the government to catch up with the speed at which this technology is advancing.
“As part of the documentary, I have made the challenging decision to release my own deepfake sex tape online, which I directed and produced with actors to ensure the process was fully consensual from start to finish.”
The video uses artificial intelligence (AI) to superimpose Pattison's face onto an actor portraying her likeness.
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After releasing the video last week, Pattison was met with a wave of backlash from people who called the move 'disrespectful'.
Speaking to The Sun on Sunday, she explained: “The video itself has always been the part of the documentary I’ve wrestled with the most.
“So it isn’t a decision I made lightly, and it is one that I struggled with right until the end.
“I completely understand some people might be angry and upset about what we’ve done and I in no way want to diminish that.
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“I’d never want to trivialise victims’ feelings.
“I had the privilege of speaking to brave survivors and a lot of them felt that creating the mock deepfake sex tape was a bold way to shine a much-needed spotlight on the issue.”
One victim told The Sun that she was 'deeply offended, let down and disappointed' by the clip, claiming it was 'disrespectful' to victims.
“I can’t compare my experience to what the victims of this go through, I really can’t,” said Pattison.
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“My heart goes out to them. I want to assure them that their feelings are valid and that I in no way want to diminish that.”
Meanwhile, another campaigner whose group was reportedly involved in the research stages of the documentary, told The Guardian: “You wouldn’t go and do a documentary where you get into a physically violent and abusive relationship to experience how it feels.”
In response to the backlash, Channel 4 said: “We understand that there have been varying views on this approach. In this documentary, Vicky aims to demonstrate how simple it is to create explicit deepfake content and raise awareness of how accessible this content is and how it can proliferate online. She also wanted to experience, as closely as possible, the feelings, vulnerabilities and concerns that arise when one becomes a victim of deepfake pornography.
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“... Channel 4 has a long history of complex and provocative programming, and has a remit to explore difficult topics. The issue of deepfake porn is a disturbing and escalating one, and this documentary aims to bring this problem into focus, by providing explanations as to how this content spreads online, hearing from expert voices and real victims, and providing support and guidance for any viewers who may find themselves affected by the themes of the programme.”
LADbible has reached out to Vicky Pattison's reps and Channel 4 for further comment.
Vicky Pattison: My Deepfake Sex Tape will be available to watch and stream on Channel 4 at 10pm on 28 January.
Topics: Celebrity, Entertainment, Documentaries, TV and Film
Lucy Devine