Bruce Willis denies selling his image rights to deepfake company

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It turns out Willis still owns the rights to his image

Bruce Willis
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Bruce Willis’ agent has denied rumors that the action star sold his image rights to a deepfake organization. In what was considered the first deal of its kind, it was widely reported Willis had sold the rights to Deepcake, allowing them to make a "digital twin" of him.

However, the actor’s representatives have since confirmed to the BBCthat he has "no partnership or agreement" with the company. "Please know that Bruce has no partnership or agreement with this Deepcake company," they said in a statement.

Deepcake also clarified that only Willis owns the rights to his own face. "What he definitely did is that he gave us his consent (and a lot of materials) to make his Digital Twin," they added.

"I liked the precision with which my character turned out," Willis said of the commercial on Deepcake’s website. "It’s a mini-movie in my usual action-comedy genre. For me, it is a great opportunity to go back in time."

The news about the deepfake deal comes after Willis’ family confirmed his retirement from acting earlier this year. After appearing in more than 100 movies, Willis has stepped back from the limelight following a diagnosis of aphasia, which is a disease that impacts both the expression and comprehension of language.

Fay Watson
Fay Watson
Deputy Entertainment Editor

I’m the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for the Total Film and SFX sections online. I previously worked as a Senior Showbiz Reporter and SEO TV reporter at Express Online for three years. I've also written for The Resident magazines and Amateur Photographer, before specializing in entertainment.