Hollywood stars including Elijah Wood exploited in Russian misinformation campaigns

Microsoft’s latest Threat Intelligence report highlights how celebrities are being used as unwitting pawns in Russian misinformation and propaganda.

It suggests an “unknown Russia-aligned influence actor” hired famous actors on Cameo to record messages that, when taken out of context, were used to “push anti-Ukraine propaganda”.

Cameo is a service that lets anyone hire a notable figure to record a video message, typically to wish someone a happy birthday, or good luck in their exams.

Actors cited in the report include Elijah Wood, Mike Tyson, Scrubs star John McGinley, Breaking Bad’s Dean Norris, and Kate Flannery, best known for her role as Meredith in the US version of The Office.

“The short video messages, which often feature celebrities pleading with ‘Vladimir’ to seek help for substance abuse, are edited by the unknown actor to include emojis and links,” says Microsoft Threat Intelligence.

“Videos circulate through pro-Russian social media communities and are amplified by Russian state-affiliated and state-run media outlets, falsely portrayed as messages to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.”

The case of Elijah Wood was debunked back in July 2023. A tweet posted by the now-deleted Twitter account “SpriterTeam” featured a video message from Wood, distorting its context so it appeared to be a plea to Mr Zelensky to seek help for his fictional drug and alcohol abuse.

Newsweek wrote the tweet was viewed at least 837,000 times. The post also made the video appear as if it was originally posted on Instagram.

Wood is no longer accepting bookings on Cameo, and neither is Tyson.

A personal video from McKinley costs £380, it’s £196 for Norris, or £152 for a Flannery message.

Many famous faces joined Cameo in 2020, after lockdowns meant more traditional work dried up for actors and musicians. Cameo has been approached for comment.

“As of late October 2023, pro-Russia social media channels have circulated six more videos,” following the Wood incident in July, according to Microsoft Threat Intelligence.

In November, Vladimir Putin announced his intention to significantly increase Russia’s use of AI, as a counter to a potential western “monopoly” over the tech — conveniently forgetting its widespread use in China.

The Hacker News also writes that Russia’s AI-driven Doppelgänger initiative has targeted the US, Germany, and Ukraine, using AI to generate fake news articles in order to generate anti-LGBTQIA sentiment and question US military competence.