Bruce Willis Denies Reports He Sold His Digital Likeness To Deepfake Company

Bruce Willis is denying he sold his digital likeness to a deepfake production company.

A representative for Willis  told The Hollywood Reporter he has “no partnership or agreement with this Deepcake company”.

His spokesperson did confirm a deepfake of the Die Hard star, 67, was created for a 2021 ad campaign, but said any future usage of the likeness would have to be cleared by Willis.

Deepcake, too, has denied the reports as well, telling BBC, "The wording about rights is wrong...Bruce couldn't sell anyone any rights, they are his by default."

Last month, various reports claimed that Willis had become the first Hollywood figure to sell his rights to Deepcake that would allow the creation of his "digitial twin" for virtual appearances in film and marketing projects.

A statement said to have been issued by Willis appeared on Deepcake's official website, in which he apparently spoke about his deepfake appearance in said ad.

“I liked the precision of my character,” Willis said, according to the quotes on the Deepcake site. “It’s a great opportunity for me to go back in time. The neural network was trained on content of Die Hard and Fifth Element, so my character is similar to the images of that time.”

He allegedly added: “With the advent of the modern technology, I could communicate, work and participate in filming, even being on another continent. It’s a brand new and interesting experience for me, and I (am) grateful to our team.”

Willis announced his riretirement from acting following his aphasia diagnosis in March. Aphasia is a disorder that limits the ability to understand or express speech. — BANG SHOWBIZ

Photo: TPG News/Click Photos