The image, which showed a model wearing a plain white short-sleeved shirt, was listed on the site for just under $10 (£7.50) before being removed.

“The image in question was provided by a third-party vendor and was removed immediately upon discovery,” a Shein spokesperson told BBC News. “We have stringent standards for all listings on our platform. We are conducting a thorough investigation, strengthening our monitoring processes, and will take appropriate action against the vendor in line with our policies.”

It remains unclear how long the image was live on Shein’s platform, or which vendor uploaded it.

Was the image AI-generated?

Speculation quickly spread online that the picture had been created using artificial intelligence.

• BBC Verify tested the image using Amazon Rekognition, which detected a 99.9% similarity to a real courtroom photo of Mangione.
• Experts noted unusual details, such as blob-like artifacts near the arm, inconsistent skin texture, and awkwardly rendered fingers — all common signs of AI manipulation.
• Generative AI expert Henry Ajder said it was “far quicker and easier” to produce such an image with AI tools than with manual editing.
• Researcher Henk van Ess suggested it was most likely generated with MidJourney, combining a real photo of Mangione’s face with AI-generated body imagery.

A dark fandom

Mangione, 26, pleaded not guilty in April to charges of murder and stalking related to Thompson’s fatal shooting in New York last year. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

His case has attracted a cult-like online following. Some critics of America’s private healthcare system have cast him as a folk anti-hero, raising money for his defense and circulating merchandise with his name and likeness.

• Etsy and Amazon have previously removed Mangione-themed products.
• The McDonald’s worker who reportedly tipped off police has faced online harassment.
• Even the Altoona, Pennsylvania police department that arrested him has received death threats.

Cultural critic Blakely Thornton previously argued that Mangione’s physical appearance — often flaunted in shirtless social media posts — plays a key role in this disturbing fandom.

Not the first tech controversy

This isn’t the first time Mangione’s name or image has landed a company in trouble.

In December, Apple faced backlash when its Apple Intelligence feature falsely generated a headline suggesting he had killed himself. The error prompted Apple to suspend the feature a month later.

His legal team has not yet commented on the Shein image.

Bottom line: Whether AI-generated or not, Shein’s use of Mangione’s likeness highlights ongoing risks for brands relying on third-party vendors and automated image pipelines — especially in an era where generative AI can blur the line between reality and fabrication.

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