Kristen Bell's Face Used In Porn 'Deepfake' Video: 'I Was Just Shocked'

Kristen Bell’s face has reportedly been superimposed onto porn performers’ bodies on the internet.

The 39-year-old “Frozen” star was shocked after her husband, Dax Shepard, revealed that pornographic videos with her face affixed on the performers have been making rounds on the internet.

These mock-up videos are known online as “deepfakes” — a type of synthetic media strategy in which a person in an existing image or video is overlaid with someone else’s face and voice.

Since its commercial development in 2018, deepfake videos have amassed widespread attention for its exploitation of high-profile personalities and celebrities. The simulation technology is often used in porn videos, revenge porn, fake news, hoaxes and even financial fraud.

Bell recently revealed that she is unhappy about this issue and felt victimized during her interview with Vox.

“I was just shocked because this is my face,” the actress said. “Belongs to me! ... It’s hard to think about, that I’m being exploited.”

Similar to Bell’s recent case, 96% of deepfake videos come from the porn industry, where nearly all of these clips have used people's identities without their consent.

“We’re having this gigantic conversation about consent and I don’t consent — so that’s why it’s not okay,” the actress said. “Even if it’s labeled as ‘This is not actually her,’ it’s hard to think about that. I wish that the internet were a little bit more responsible and a little bit kinder.”

But Bell isn’t the only victim of the face manipulation. Deeptrace, a deepfake detection solution, has many reports about regular people whose appearances are also being used in creating these fake videos.

Henry Adjer, a co-writer of a Deeptrace study, recently told Vox that a number of people’s images on social media have been swiped online for deepfakes.

Noelle Martin’s case, for instance, is another example of an identity being used with consent. Martin, who is a law graduate in Perth, discovered that the photos she shared on social media were exploited by an unknown person. According to Vox, Martin’s face was photoshopped into nude images, and she was taken advantage of, all for creating deepfakes.

“There’s a lot of talk about the challenges that come with the advancements in deepfake technology, but I think what is often missed from the discussion is the impact to individuals right now,” Martin told Vox. “Not in a few years, not in a couple of months. Right now.”

As for Bell, the actress underscored the importance of being highly aware of possible “red flags” as well as the evolution of new technology in the world. She also noted that though technological innovations become more developed, people are also at risk of the harm they could bring.