Former Nashville meteorologist Bree Smith has spoken out after discovering lifelike deepfake pornographic videos of herself online, a violation she says has left her shaken and humiliated. The 43-year-old mother and ex-NewsChannel 5 weather anchor found her face digitally pasted onto another woman's body in explicit content, with AI-generated audio mimicking her voice.
The videos are part of a growing trend of digital impersonation using artificial intelligence. Smith said she received an email from a viewer alerting her to the fakes, and later found dozens of convincing fake accounts using her image and AI-altered voice to scam followers. In one video, Smith appears to speak directly to the viewer, saying, 'Yes dear, it is me, it is really me.'
Smith said the imposters are 'weaponizing' her identity, with one viewer receiving fake videos in which Smith allegedly 'promised many sexual acts and asked the viewer to send them money to book a two-night stay at the Conrad Hotel.' She added that the scammers 'violated me and they preyed on Tennesseans.'
When Smith reached out to her former employer, WTVF, she claims she was told 'nothing could be done - it was not illegal and I had no recourse.' Station manager Richard Eller later said the station 'wholeheartedly' shares her frustrations and had exhausted options with social media platforms, reported the situation to Metro Police, and launched an investigation through corporate security, but 'nothing worked.'
Smith described the experience as 'very degrading' and said it caused a 'very dark depression.' She has since begun tracking the impersonators, compiling a spreadsheet of fraudulent accounts. 'This has devastated my life's work,' she said, adding that she became a meteorologist to help people, but now her reputation is being used to hurt the very people she tried to protect.
