Bruce Willis has not sold his digital likeness to a deepfake company despite reports earlier this week.
The retired actor's representative confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter on Saturday (1 October) that his likeness hadn't been sold to Deepcake.
Willis' reps told the outlet that the 67-year-old 'has no partnership or agreement with this Deepcake company'.
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Several outlets, including The Telegraph, said that Willis had become the first performer to ever complete such a sale, which would allow Deepcake to create a 'digital twin' of him to appear in various projects.
A spokesperson for Deepcake has also denied the reports, saying that Willis' digital likeness could not have been sold in the first place, as he is the sole owner.
However, a statement that has been attributed to Willis also appeared on the Deepcake official website, where he reportedly spoke about his deepfake and how it would be appearing in a European advertising campaign.
He allegedly said: "With the advent of the modern technology, I could communicate, work and participate in filming, even being on another continent. It's a brand new and interesting experience for me, and I grateful to our team."
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A deepfake of Willis was indeed created for the Russian telecoms company, MegaFon, for their advertising campaign in 2021.
Deepcake reportedly told the BBC that they had 'worked closely' with Willis' team for the advert, adding: "What he definitely did is that he gave us his consent (and a lot of materials) to make his Digital Twin."
But, if Willis' 'digital twin' is to appear in any future campaigns, it would need to be approved by the former actor.
Willis announced his retirement from acting in March after a long-running and famed acting career.
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The news was revealed in an Instagram post by his daughter Rumer, in which she cited a recent diagnosis of aphasia, which was 'impacting his cognitive abilities'.
The post was signed by several of his closest family members, but also included his ex-wife, Demi Moore.
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They said: "To Bruce’s amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities. As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him."
"This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support. We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him."
UNILAD has reached out to Willis' and Deepcake's reps for further comment.
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Topics: Bruce Willis, Film and TV