Video altered to show María Elena Salinas promoting arthritis cure | Fact check
The claim: Video shows María Elena Salinas promoting a medication to cure arthritis
[En Español: Video alterado muestra a María Elena Salinas promocionando cura para la artritis]
A Feb. 23 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows what appears to be a video of María Elena Salinas, a former anchor for the Spanish-language television network Univision, interviewing CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta about a "medication" that can cure arthritis.
“$49 TO FORGET ABOUT JOINT PAIN,” reads the video’s on-screen caption in Spanish. “GOODBYE TO JOINT PAIN! in 72 hours.”
The post was shared more than 1,000 times in two weeks.
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Our rating: Altered
The video has been edited to combine real video footage with a fabricated audio track. Salinas said she never promoted such a medication.
Video splices clips of Salinas, Gupta
Salinas, one of the most recognized and respected Hispanic journalists, told Paste BN she did not promote any such product.
“I am appalled that someone would use my face, name and voice to deceive people for economic benefit,” Salinas said. “It is an insult and abuse for both me and consumers. I do not endorse any product. Although AI has some promising benefits, this is the type of dangerous use of AI and there needs to be some control or oversight to prevent it.”
More: Real products, fake endorsements: Why experts say AI-generated ads will get tougher to spot
The video shows a Univision banner, but Salinas has not worked at the network since December 2017.
The video of Gupta promoting the purported medication is also edited.
“This is completely fabricated. Dr. Sanjay Gupta does not endorse products,” CNN spokesperson Bridget Leininger told Paste BN.
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The original clip shows Gupta being interviewed in 2019 in English about his "tips for longevity." He makes no mention of any medication to cure arthritis.
Professor Hafiz Malik from the University of Michigan's Electrical and Computer Engineering Department said the lip movements of Salina and Gupta do not match the voices in the Facebook video, indicating the footage has been digitally manipulated.
Paste BN reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Our fact-check sources:
- María Elena Salinas, March 5, Text message exchange with Paste BN
- Bridget Leininger, March 5, Email exchange with Paste BN
- Extra TV (YouTube), April 4, 2019, Dr. Sanjay Gupta Shares His Tips for Longevity
- Hafiz Malik, March 6, Phone interview with Paste BN
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