Grief is already an unbearable weight — but for Kate Garraway, it’s being twisted into something darker by the rise of artificial intelligence.

The Good Morning Britain star has been forced to confront disturbing online rumours suggesting she had “moved on” with a so-called AI-created boyfriend. A fabricated photo of Garraway with a mystery man spread rapidly on social media, sparking whispers that she had replaced her late husband Derek Draper just months after his tragic death.

But Garraway isn’t staying silent. She has slammed the AI-generated image as a “total hoax”, calling the speculation not just absurd, but cruel beyond words.

“It’s ABSURD. I lost Derek. To suggest I’d create or accept a ‘fake boyfriend’ through AI is insulting to me, to my children, and to Derek’s memory,” she declared.

For Garraway, who spent years tirelessly caring for her husband through his devastating COVID battle before his passing, this feels like yet another violation — one that adds salt to wounds still raw. She says the rumours have reignited her grief, describing them as “an attack on the truth and on love itself.”

AI deepfakes and manipulated content are becoming a rising plague for celebrities. But in Garraway’s case, the timing makes it even more unbearable. Just as she is navigating widowhood and the pain of rebuilding life with her children, she’s been forced into defending herself against a narrative built entirely from lies.

Fans have rallied to her side, flooding her social media with messages of support. Many condemned the AI hoax as “vile,” “inhumane,” and “a shocking invasion of privacy.” One supporter wrote: “Kate gave everything to Derek. To mock her grief like this is beyond cruel.”

Industry experts warn that Garraway’s ordeal is just the tip of the iceberg — a chilling example of how easily AI tools can manufacture damaging, hyper-realistic illusions. Without stronger safeguards, more public figures — and grieving families — will face similar attacks.

For Garraway, though, the focus remains clear: honouring Derek’s memory, protecting her children, and refusing to let technology cheapen her story of love and loss.

“I will always stand up for Derek,” she said firmly. “No AI hoax, no fake narrative, will ever change the truth of what we went through together.”

As her fans rally, one thing is certain — Kate Garraway’s voice cuts through the noise with a truth more powerful than any machine-made lie.