Watch: Did an Orca Really Kill Trainer Jessica Radcliffe? The Truth Behind the Viral Clip
Ready for the truth about Jessica Radcliffe?
Days after a clip went viral on TikTok allegedly showing Radcliffe, a whale trainer, being killed by an orca during a performance in front of a live audience, it turns out the entire episode was a hoax. In fact, no official records, news reports or credible sources show that Radcliffe even existed.
Furthermore, there is no evidence that the attack even took place, with the video being an AI-generated fabrication, according to multiple reports. Experts examined the footage and, according to the International Business Times, found that it featured AI-generated voices combined with archival footage.
The original video, which spread across the internet like wild fire, claimed to show Radcliffe performing alongside an orca in a whale show at Pacific Blue Marine Park. The video said that she was killed during the set, with another video alleging the attack was triggered by menstrual blood—with experts noting, via the IBT, that such details are common in fake stories to heighten the emotional impact.
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The AI video did appear to take inspiration from two real life orca killings: Alexis Martínez’s 2009 death and Dawn Brancheau’s death in 2010.
Martínez, 29, was an orca trainer at Loro Parque on the Canary Islands who was involved in an incident with a whale named Keto. He was rushed to the hospital and died of internal bleeding and injuries.
Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Meanwhile, Brancheau was killed by Tilikum, an orca at SeaWorld Orlando. The 36-year-old had been dragged by her hair underwater, where the whale repeatedly struck her in front of an audience. Brancheau’s death was explored in the 2013 documentary Blackfish.
Experts pointed out to IBT that the similarities to the real deaths as one the reasons the fake video was able to gain traction, according to the IBT, as oftentimes using real or recognizable incidents make the false story feel more legitimate.
While the video of Radcliffe is a fake, keep reading for real life freak accidents.
