Henderson’s TikTok claimed that while she was dropping off a delivery in Oswego, New York, she noticed that a customer’s front door was open and, inside, a man was lying on the couch with his pants and underwear pulled down to his ankles. Henderson was dubbed the “DoorDash Girl” and her video was viewed millions of times, including some supportive and consoling reactions to what she endured at the job as a young woman. Several others on the platform created commentary videos questioning Henderson’s alleged victimization, defending the customer, and spreading misinformation, with TikTok’s algorithm appearing to amplify these “hot takes.” Then, following Henderson’s arrest on November 10 – he was charged with unlawful surveillance and dissemination of unlawful surveillance imagery – a new wave of reactions emerged. (The police have rejected her allegation of sexual assault.)
None of these responses came from Black content creator and journalist Mireille LaRose.
But when LaRose opened TikTok one day, she found dozens of messages from friends and supporters who were concerned about the video, responding to the situation in favor of her client and DoorDash’s decision to terminate Henderson. (DoorDash spokesperson Jeff Rosenberg told WIRED that Henderson was fired for sharing a customer’s private information online.) As LaRose watched the video in disbelief, she second-guessed herself as she filled with worry about the comments section “isolating her.”
“Did I film it?” he asked. “This is my face, this is my hair.”
“Then, within three or four seconds, I noticed something was wrong. There was no way I could have said that. I didn’t say that [want to] Let’s talk about this topic,'” LaRose told WIRED. The video was AI-generated.
The situation highlights an increasingly common form of digital blackface, fueled by the rise of generative AI. This term, popularized by culture critic Lauren Michelle Jackson, describes various contemporary types of “minstrel performances” on the Internet. This reaction looks like the hyperrepresentation of GIFs, memes, TikToks, and other visual and text-based media that use Black imagery, slang, gestures, and culture. TikTok’s reliance on attention-grabbing short-form video content, combined with apps like Sora 2, has made it much easier for non-Black creators and bot accounts to adopt racially stereotypical black personas using deepfakes. This is also known as digital blackfishing.
Amid the DoorDash/Henderson controversy, users on TikTok began to notice two videos in particular: one from a bot account and the other by an actual Black content creator repeating the same script. He seemingly adopted a DARVO (Denial, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Perpetrator) position, minimizing the allegations made by Henderson and justifying her termination: “I watched the original video posted by the DoorDash girl, and … I understand why DoorDash fired you and why you’re blocked from the app.” The video goes on to say, “As far as the guy goes, I can see why everyone is saying he did it on purpose. But when you watch the original video, that sofa doesn’t come into view until you see yourself tilted to one side, and if you really want to break it down, he’s inside his house.” In a statement on Facebook, the Oswego City Police Department said the man was “incapacitated and unconscious on his couch due to alcohol consumption” and that the video was taken outside his home. Police also said they “have determined that no sexual assault occurred.”
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