FACT CHECK: Did Vogue Algeria Feature Imane Khelif On Cover?

A photo shared on Threads allegedly shows a Vogue Algeria cover featuring Olympic boxer Imane Khelif.

 

Post by @epiphany724

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Verdict: False

There is no evidence to suggest that this is a genuine Vogue cover.

Fact Check:

J.K. Rowling, author of “Harry Potter,” broke two weeks of silence on X after she was named in a legal complaint for alleged cyber harassment regarding Khelif’s gender, according to Newsweek. Rowling took to the social platform to share an article by evolutionary biologist Colin Wright criticizing a recent makeover Khelif received, Wright dubbing it a “hyper-feminizing PR campaign,” the outlet reported.

A Threads image purportedly shows a cover of Vogue Algeria featuring Olympic boxer Imane Khelif. The post includes an image of Khelif in a red scarf and gold headwear with large green jewels.

Text on the side of the alleged cover reads, “The first Algerian, Arab and African woman to win an Olympic boxing gold.”

This is not a genuine Vogue cover, however. Viewing a list of brands featured on the site of Vogue’s parent company, Condé Nast, shows Vogue editions of several other countries, but not Algeria. (RELATED: No, Imane Khelif Did Not Make Post Threatening To Sue Elon Musk, Fox News And Others)

The image originates from an Instagram user by the name of Cheikh Boumsersseb, whose name is written on the right side of the image. His bio indicates that he is a “Visual/Art Director.” He also made an additional Vogue cover featuring Khelif, including the disclaimer in the caption, “This piece is an artistic expression, not an official statement !”

Putting the image into Hive Moderation, a tool that detects AI-generated content, shows that the image is 99.9% likely to contain AI-generated or deepfake content.

Check Your Fact reached out to a Khelif spokesperson for comment.