Karely Ruiz, the popular adult content creator and model, recently caused a stir on Twitter when an alleged explicit video with Mexican rapper Babo went viral. However, Ruiz has strongly denied appearing in the video, raising concerns about deepfakes and disinformation. In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll analyze the controversy, social media‘s role in spreading misinformation, and why influencers must be vigilant about their brand reputation.
Who is Karely Ruiz? Her Meteoric Rise as an Influencer
With over 7.6 million Instagram followers and 630k TikTok fans, Karely Ruiz is an internet celebrity famous for her racy photos and videos. The Mexican influencer prominently promotes her OnlyFans account across her social media, garnering her global recognition in the adult industry.
Born in 1997, Ruiz first ventured into modeling in 2017 by participating in a calendar competition called Chica Erots. She leveraged this exposure to quickly gain followers on Instagram and Facebook by posting provocative photos.
By 2018, she had over 1 million Instagram followers, gaining the title of the "Mexican Kim Kardashian." Eager fans lapped up her revealing outfits and unapologetic displays of sexuality.
Ruiz‘s meteoric success illustrates social media‘s power – within a year, she went from complete unknown to globally recognized adult influencer. Fans are drawn to her striking looks, voluptuous figure, and trendy fashion aesthetic.
But beyond just photos, Ruiz also creates viral amateur adult videos. On TikTok, she posts teasing clips showing off her curves. This interactive content keeps fans hooked and wanting to see more exclusive material.
Ruiz knows precisely how to leverage scandal and controversy to rapidly gain followers. By promoting her OnlyFans account, she earns significant income from subscribers who pay for full access.
As of 2022, her popularity remains undimmed, with followers and engagement still growing exponentially across platforms like TikTok, Twitter, Instagram and OnlyFans.
Karely Ruiz‘s Instagram follower count over time, via SocialBlade. A rapid rise within 2 years illustrates her influencer success.
Babo‘s Music Video Causing a Stir
Babo, the stage name of Mexican rapper Eduardo Dávalos De Luna, recently released a music video for his hit single "Piensa en Mi." While the main video was posted to YouTube, an explicit "behind the scenes" version was made available via pay-per-view on OnlyFans.
The music video featured several adult industry influencers, including Gaby Lily, Kelly Madanie, Alixia, and Alieda Ramirez – but not Karely Ruiz. However, an alleged explicit video featuring Ruiz and Babo soon went viral on Twitter.
Babo is an established Latin rapper with a bad-boy image synonymous with drugs, guns, and womanizing. His hyper-masculine hip-hop persona attracts plenty of controversy. Collaborating with adult models is just another way for him to solidify his rebel status while gaining visibility.
The music video received over 4.4 million YouTube views within just 5 days. Meanwhile, the leaked behind-the-scenes cut garnered intense speculation on Twitter, with fans trying to determine if it was real or fake.
Karely Denies Appearing in the Video
Ruiz strongly denied being part of Babo‘s music video, posting multiple times on Facebook that the video was fake. She joked she should invite herself as a collaboration, but emphasized she did not actually participate.
Babo also did not tag or reference Ruiz in any of his posts about the music video. All evidence suggests the Twitter video was fabricated, not an authentic behind-the-scenes clip.
Ruiz made the right move by immediately addressing the rumor on her social platforms. A prompt and unambiguous denial helps control reputational damage, rather than letting speculation run rampant.
However, this was not the first time a false video has emerged and gone viral. Just last year, an alleged intimate video of Ruiz also circulated online but turned out to be fake.
As her popularity grows, she‘s increasingly becoming a target for deepfakes and disinformation. This is a common risk that influencers, especially in the adult industry, must stay vigilant about.
Deepfakes and Disinformation Risks
The alleged Ruiz video is likely a deepfake – AI-manipulated media designed to look authentic. Deepfakes use neural network machine learning techniques to superimpose an existing image or video onto source content.
For example, the viral video may have utilized actual footage of Ruiz and Babo from their social media, making it seem real at first glance. But in truth, their images were digitally altered and merged.
According to a study by Deeptrace, the number of deepfake videos online has doubled since 2019. 96% of these are nonconsensual pornographic videos of celebrities and influencers.
As deepfake technology becomes more advanced thanks to apps like Zao and FakeApp, it‘s easier than ever to spread false yet believable videos rapidly across social media.
Examples of deepfake technology manipulating politics, news, and celebrity videos. (Image Source: Insider)
The controversy demonstrates how prudent influencers must be to protect their reputation. Once something goes viral, it‘s difficult to contain. Ruiz was forced to issue public statements denying the video simply because of how rapidly disinformation was spreading online. Failure to address it quickly could have implied her consent or caused greater damages.
According to a [CompTIA] analysis, deepfake videos have been viewed over 138 million times, highlighting the huge audience for this content. For influencers, fake videos by unknown people can severely impact their careers and value.
Social Media Virality Fuels Disinformation
While social media allows influencers to build impressively large followings, its viral nature is a double-edged sword. False news and manipulated media can gain traction just as quickly as factual information, if not faster.
According to a comprehensive study from MIT, false news is 70% more likely to be retweeted on Twitter compared to accurate news. The rapid-fire and reactive nature of Twitter particularly incentivizes clickbait, controversy, and sharing without fact checking.
This makes Twitter an ideal host for disinformation campaigns. Most users are primed to react instantly to salacious rumors, making influencers extremely vulnerable. Even a short burst of tweets can spiral into widespread damage.
| Metric | False News | True News |
|---|---|---|
| Tweets | ~126,000 | ~33,000 |
| Re-Tweets | ~4,257,000 | ~2,276,000 |
| Unique Users Sharing | ~3,450,000 | ~1,950,000 |
Virality comparison of false vs. true news on Twitter (Source: MIT)
Influencers must be vigilant about monitoring what‘s being said about them online. They should issue swift clarifications on any inaccurate rumors before they spiral. Having a crisis management plan is essential.
Lessons from Other Influencers
The Karely Ruiz situation echoes previous influencer controversies:
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In 2019, a fake explicit video of Instagram model Malu Trevejo went viral on Reddit and Twitter. She issued cease-and-desist notices to curb its spread.
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In 2020, TikTok creator Cole Carrigan accused Tony Lopez of sexual misconduct based on fake explicit messages. Lopez denied the rumors and distanced himself from the controversy.
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In 2022, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg became the target of a deepfake video with false claims about user data collection. Despite Facebook detecting it as fake, the video still went viral.
These examples demonstrate the potent threat deepfakes pose to influencer reputation management in the digital age. Staying vigilant, responding rapidly, and leveraging legal means are crucial to contain damages.
Key Takeaways
The alleged Karely Ruiz and Babo video provides some critical lessons for influencers operating in the digital age:
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Monitor what‘s being said about you online and be prepared to respond to false information swiftly.
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Issue unambiguous clarifications using multiple platforms to control your narrative.
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Understand deepfake technology and how it facilitates spreading misinformation.
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Recognize social media‘s double-edged sword – viral scandal can help you gain followers but also damage your brand.
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Manage your reputation actively and have a crisis plan ready to combat disinformation.
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Learn from past influencer controversies involving deepfakes – it can happen to anyone as technology progresses.
The line between publicity and defamation is razor-thin for internet celebrities. While leveraging controversy can help influencers grow their audience, they must be vigilant about controlling their image and pushing back against false narratives that may arise. In the high-stakes world of social media celebrity, reputation management is everything.
