President Donald Trump posted an AI video of the aftermath of the tragic incident when 23-year-old William Chapman was killed by a tiger in Doncaster, England, and it backfired quickly. Now, Chapman’s family has broken their silence.
The tragedy took place at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster last weekend. Emergency services were called to the scene at around 1:35 p.m. after reports that a man had entered the tiger enclosure. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, the man was pronounced dead at the scene, South Yorkshire Police confirmed.
Anthony Hunt and his girlfriend Scarlet Hogan, visitors at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park on Saturday, told The Telegraph that a woman “desperately tried to pull back” William as he tried to jump into the enclosure.
Hunt told the news outlet that Chapman overpowered the woman, who was with her two children at the time, before leaping from a bridge into the tiger enclosure.
“The man started praying to the tiger, bowing down to it – the tiger looked a bit confused,” Ms Hogan said. “Up until he got attacked, it was like he was in a trance, not in reality at all.”
Shocking videos of the tiger attacking the man spread on social media. The man has now been identified as 23-year-old William Chapman.
As the horrifying video spread worldwide, some decided to alter the original footage with AI. One who did was Donald Trump, who, in a bizarre AI video, posted the moments before William Chapman’s tragic final moments, where the president is seen chasing away the big cat and wrestling with it playfully.
William Chapman’s family make plea as Trump shares AI video of tiger attack
“Dont [sic] ever mess with nature! President DJT,” Trump captioned the video.
However, the video quickly backfired, and people were furious at Donald Trump. The footage was later reposted by the White House Rapid Response account, which prompted further outrage over the decision to circulate images of the man’s death.
In the last days, tragic new details about William Chapman have emerged. Now, his family has broken their silence, making a tragic plea to the public.
They are now desperately trying to stop all AI-generated videos that recreate some details of their beloved family members passing, including the one posted by President Trump.
The Chapman family is now begging Donald Trump to stop spreading the video, which they branded “deeply offensive.”
In their first public statement, which was read on the U.K. show Good Morning Britain, William Chapman’s family asked for the “deeply offensive” videos taken of the tiger attack to stop being circulated online.
William Chapman’s family make plea as Trump shares AI video of tiger attack
Chapman, a former child actor, had suffered from “significant mental illness” for years, the statement read.
“The publication and circulation of deeply offensive media content is causing them severe distress at an exceptionally vulnerable time,” the statement from William Chapman’s family read.
“The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened. [Chapman’s] family are hopeful that the relevant authorities will do their utmost to get to the bottom of why our amazing son did what he did.”
They concluded: “William was a bright, warm, and engaging young man whom his family dearly loved – and William loved them back.”
Donald Trump’s video has even pushed the U.K. government to respond. Per the BBC, A spokesman to U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said, “I think obviously the family has made their position clear. Of course, we respect that position. I’m not going to comment on the president’s social media channels, he’s got a press secretary who can speak to that.”
Rest in peace, William. What are your thoughts on Trump’s AI video of the incident? Please share your opinion in the comment section.
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