Shein is facing public backlash after a photo of Luigi Mangione landed on their website. The photo, which was likely AI-generated or Photoshopped, has managed to cause the people to be furious. Here’s why people are mad at the “disrespectful” picture.
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in New York on December 4, 2024. Soon after, a manhunt for the CEO’s killer commenced. Luigi Mangione was declared to be the prime suspect in the killing of Thompson.
On December 9, the 27-year-old was taken into custody and has remained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn ever since. Luigi, who is an Ivy League graduate, has amassed fame and a horde of supporters ever since mugshots following his arrest were made public.
People set up GoFundMe pages to cover his legal fees and even started fan accounts to rally support for the suspected murderer. A recent incident left both Mangione’s fans and condemners surprised, and some even disgusted.
A photo of the 27-year-old was displayed on the Shein website. He seemed to be modeling in one of the shirts that were up for sale on the fast-fashion website. It didn’t take long for the photo to go viral. Social media users were quick to comment on the incident.
The photo that featured a grinning Luigi was clearly AI-generated. A possibility of the 27-year-old’s face being edited onto the body of a model was also discussed. Shein was quick to take the photo down after receiving criticism for it.
Shein’s website appears to use Luigi Mangione’s face to model a spring/summer shirt. pic.twitter.com/UPXW8fEPPq
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) September 3, 2025
By the time the photo was taken down, it had already been screengrabbed and circulated around the internet. “Free my mans! He’s got a career waiting on him,” one user claimed. “Killer marketing,” a second added.
Others raged about how the AI technology was negatively affecting society while calling the listing as disrespectful. ”We need AI laws asap,” one user urged. “Really hoping AI gets banned soon,” another wished.
A third noted how the use of AI in this particular scenario was extremely “disrespectful.” Another demanded that Shein “pay his lawyers’ fees. Using his likeness without his permission or compensation is disgusting.”
“Reason #537 why AI is a trash technology that’s primary enduring use will be to deceive and cheat the public,” a netizen noted. The backlash intensified to the point that Shein had to provide clarity about the situation from their end.
the fact that your face can be used, without consent, to promote products that you’ve never even touched thanks to genAI…
add in the fact that they’re using the image of an incarcerated individual who has already lost all autonomy.
— Bag chaser 🧌 (@deadbynextweek) September 3, 2025
The global e-commerce platform revealed that it had begun investigating its internal process. It also claimed that the picture that went viral “was provided by a third-party vendor.”
A spokesperson for Shein shared how the photo was taken down immediately upon discovery. They revealed that “appropriate action” would be taken against the vendor in question once the investigation concludes. “We are conducting a thorough investigation, strengthening our monitoring processes,” the statement detailed.
