Chris Daughtry has emerged as the most vocal musician yet to condemn the growing plague of AI-generated fake content targeting artists across social media platforms.
The American Idol alum released an impassioned video last week declaring “enough is enough” about what he termed “fake bullshit news” circulating about him online (as per Rolling Stone).
For months, Facebook and other social media sites have been flooded with fabricated AI posts featuring rock stars in entirely fictional scenarios. These range from fake hospital visits to non-existent tour announcements and tributes to deceased celebrities that never happened.
Daughtry has found himself at the centre of particularly outrageous claims, including fake posts suggesting he had physical altercations with his wife, visited country legends in hospital, and announced joint tours with everyone from Bon Jovi to a hip-hop supergroup featuring Eminem, Dr. Dre, and Rihanna.
The situation became particularly troubling for Daughtry when fake content began falsely associating him with political figures and movements that contradict his personal values. Fabricated posts claimed he was paying tribute to Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk and donating millions to the conservative organisation. “I’ve evolved quite a bit as a human over the last 20 years,” Daughtry explained in a recent interview. “I’m all about equal rights, inclusion, equal rights for LGBTQ, and minority communities. I certainly don’t stand with MAGA, Charlie Kirk, Turning Point or any other movement rooted in bigotry or intolerance.”
The musician’s frustration reached a breaking point when he realised some fans were actually believing the fabricated content. Comments threatening to boycott his music began appearing, with people declaring they would “never listen to him again” based entirely on false information. “When it starts lumping me into these groups that do not align with my values and the things I stand for and where my heart is, it affects me on a deep level,” he said.
Daughtry isn’t the only artist grappling with this phenomenon. Bonnie Raitt recently posted a lengthy statement debunking fake claims about farewell tours, Christmas shows, and even false reports about her brother being involved in a plane crash. The Monkees’ Micky Dolenz also warned fans about “AI-generated nonsense” in September.
Despite his management team’s advice to avoid drawing attention to the fake content, Daughtry felt compelled to speak out publicly. “I went against my manager’s wishes,” he admitted. “He was like, ‘You don’t want to be feeding this machine or drawing more attention to it.’ And I was like, ‘Fuck that.’ I want everyone to know this is absolute bullshit.”
