Emmerdale star Lisa Riley has spoken out after AI-generated social media posts falsely claimed she was pregnant, calling the material “absolutely horrendous” and demanding that it stop.
The fake posts included an edited pregnancy announcement, along with a separate manipulated image appearing to show the actress holding a newborn baby.
The upsetting claims come after earlier false pregnancy rumours about Lisa Riley, which the Emmerdale star had already publicly rejected.
Emmerdale issues warning over AI-generated fake news
The official Emmerdale Instagram account has now warned viewers about a wider stream of AI-generated content involving stars of Emmerdale and Coronation Street.
The account said: “It has been brought to our attention that a lot of AI-generated Facebook pages are posting fake news about Emmerdale and Coronation Street actors and the programmes in general. Some of these posts are extremely hurtful and damaging to reputations.”
The soap urged viewers to stick to genuine news outlets and make use of reporting methods available to them if they believe a page is sharing fake content.
Lisa Riley breaks her silence on fake pregnancy claims
After coming across the posts, Lisa took the matter straight to Instagram and made clear just how upset she was.
She wrote: “THIS HAS TO STOP!!!!! It’s absolutely horrendous!!! Saying that I’m pregnant again!!”
She added: “How is this allowed it makes me so upset… what world do we live in that these lies, and more lies are allowed to be put in the public domain. I’m sick to death of it now!!!”
The subject is especially sensitive for Lisa, who plays Mandy Dingle in Emmerdale. She has previously spoken openly about experiencing infertility and undergoing IVF treatment, which she eventually stopped because of its impact on her wellbeing.
Lisa was also met with support from several fellow celebrities after sharing her post.
Rhian Sugden commented: “What on earth!?? Have people lost their minds!?? This is so upsetting. Sending you lots of love.”
Fellow Emmerdale star Michelle Hardwick added: “So many lies Lisa. Hope you’re ok.”
Lisa Riley isn’t the only soap star challenging fake claims
The Emmerdale actress is far from the only ITV soap star to have pushed back against misinformation online.
Coronation Street’s Jane Danson previously responded to claims that Leanne Battersby had been axed.
Jane said a Facebook group had invented stories and attributed comments to cast members who had never made them. She also said nobody had told her that Coronation Street planned to axe her.
Speaking about the potential damage caused by such posts, Jane wrote: “And please stop believing the 99 per cent nonsense these sites keep spinning. It can be so damaging and it’s really unkind. Think before you type.”
Lisa’s reaction, alongside the official Emmerdale warning, highlights the very real impact manipulated celebrity posts can have. Here, the false pregnancy claims centred on a deeply personal subject that Lisa has previously discussed openly.
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 8pm, with an early release on ITVX at 7am.
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