Brazilian man sells everything to meet online girlfriend, discovers she was AI
A Brazilian man sold all his belongings and travelled over 1,200 miles to meet the online girlfriend he hoped to marry. Edimar Martins, 49, discovered that the woman, featured on a TikTok account with around 300,000 followers, was AI-generated. After running out of money, he received assistance to return home but remains hopeful about finding love.
A 49-year-old bricklayer from Maranhão, Brazil, named Edimar Martins, sold all his belongings and traveled over 1,200 miles to meet his online girlfriend named Jessica Oliveira. Jessica appeared in videos on a TikTok account with approximately 300,000 followers, where she claimed to be looking for a partner to live on her farm. Martins sold his possessions on October 9 to pay for a bus ride to Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais, hoping to meet Jessica in person.
Upon arriving in Belo Horizonte on October 11, Martins was heartbroken when he couldn't find the woman. He reached out to a local radio station, but they informed him that Jessica did not exist. The TikTok account later acknowledged that the character was created using artificial intelligence and denied any personal communication with Martins.
Martins received help from Belo Horizonte City Hall to return home after running out of money spent on the journey. He expressed emotional disappointment and depression after believing he found a genuine relationship. Despite the setback, Martins remains determined to find a romantic partner and plans to return to Belo Horizonte to meet someone else in person.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
