Topline
Shoppers at online fast-fashion retailer Shein noticed a model this week that looked nearly identical to Luigi Mangione, the man accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson, whose likeness was apparently used by a third-party seller to model a men’s button-down shirt.
A screenshot on the Internet Archive, captured early Wednesday, depicts a male model whose face looks strikingly similar to Mangione modeling a floral white button-down shirt, which had sold out of multiple sizes and was selling for $11.69.
Shein told the BBC Wednesday morning it removed the image from its website and is “conducting a thorough investigation” about how the image was uploaded, noting the picture was provided by a third-party vendor that sells clothing on the fast-fashion retailer’s website.
Shein is also “strengthening our monitoring processes and will take appropriate action against the vendor in line with our policies,” the retailer told BBC.
The Internet Archive screenshots say the shirt was sourced from Manfinity, whose website says it is a Detroit-based men’s clothing retailer.
Manfinity still sells dozens of products on Shein’s website, though none of its other shirts appear to be modeled by a Mangione lookalike.
Forbes has reached out to both Shein and Manfinity for comment.
It’s unclear whether the image is AI-generated, or how it was produced by the third-party vendor. The image began garnering attention on social media late Tuesday night, after TMZ reported Shein was using the picture on its website. Prior to its removal from the Shein website, the pop culture news account Pop Crave posted the image on X, garnering 5 million views and more than 91,000 likes as of Wednesday morning.
Mangione, 27, was arrested in December following a days-long manhunt after the fatal shooting of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson, and in April, he was indicted on four federal charges, including murder. Attorney General Pam Bondi urged federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty. Mangione pleaded not guilty to all charges. His arrest and subsequent charges rocketed him to international attention. He is awaiting trial at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center.
Luigi Mangione's likeness used to model shirt on Shein (BBC)