In short:
- Jenna Ortega deleted her Twitter account after receiving explicit AI-generated photos of herself as a minor
- Ortega expressed strong dislike for the misuse of AI, calling it “appalling” and “corrupt.”
- From the age of 12, she received unsolicited explicit content on social media
- Ortega initially created social media accounts to build her image as an actress
- She still maintains an Instagram account with over 38 million followers
Jenna Ortega, the 21-year-old star of Netflix’s “Wednesday” and “Beetlejuice,” recently announced that she deleted her Twitter account after receiving explicit, AI-generated images of herself as a minor.
In an interview on the New York Times podcast “The Interview,” Ortega expressed her strong dislike for the misuse of artificial intelligence technology.
Ortega, who began her acting career at the age of nine, spoke about her experiences with harassment on social media at a young age.
She said her first direct message on social media, which she received when she was just 12 years old, contained an unsolicited photo of a man’s genitals. That incident, she said, was “just the beginning of what was to come.”
The actress explained that she originally created social media accounts because she was told it would help her build her image as an actress.
However, the influx of inappropriate content, especially after the success of her show “Wednesday,” became overwhelming. Ortega described the AI-generated images as “disgusting” and said they made her feel “bad” and “uncomfortable.”
“Did I enjoy opening a Twitter account at 14 because I was supposed to and seeing dirty, edited content of myself as a child? No. It’s horrifying. It’s corrupt. It’s wrong,” Ortega said in the interview.
While Ortega acknowledges the potential benefits of AI in areas such as medical advancement, she stresses that she finds its misuse in the creation of explicit content, especially involving minors, abhorrent, calling the practice “repugnant” and “corrupt.”
The decision to delete her Twitter account came about two to three years ago after the amount of “absurd images and photos” she received following the premiere of “Wednesday” increased.
Ortega explained that she woke up one day and realized she no longer needed the platform, which led to her decision to delete her account.
Although she has deleted her Twitter account, Ortega remains present on Instagram with over 38 million followers.
She described the process of managing her social media presence as part of “learning” to protect herself in the entertainment industry.
Ortega’s experience sheds light on the dark side of fame and the potential dangers of social media for young actors.
Reflecting on her decision to start acting at a young age, she said that while she and her parents sometimes regretted it, she wouldn’t change anything because of the valuable lessons and experiences she gained along the way.
The actress, who stars in the upcoming horror film “Beetlejuice,” continues to be cautious in her career and public presence.
8
