Luigi Mangione, Shein’s new ‘model’

A photograph circulating online has left many stunned: Luigi Mangione, the young man accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson, seems to appear as a model for a Shein shirt priced at just $11.69.

The resemblance is uncanny. According to reporting from Stuff, the image is “likely AI-generated”, according to AI detection software Sight Engine. But whether it’s Mangione himself, a manipulated photo, or artificial intelligence at work, the likeness is hard to ignore.

The listing was swiftly removed, along with another Shein product — pins that expressed support for Mangione.

Mangione awaiting trial and possibly death penalty

On December 4, 2024, chaos erupted in Midtown Manhattan when Brian Thompson, a top executive at the nation’s largest health insurer, was shot dead near the entrance of the New York Hilton Midtown.

Surveillance cameras captured a masked gunman firing into Thompson’s back. Days later, police arrested 21-year-old Mangione in a small Pennsylvania town. He now sits in federal custody in Brooklyn, facing trial and the possibility of the death penalty.

That’s why the Shein appearance is so baffling: how could a man awaiting trial for capital murder end up modeling fast-fashion apparel?

AI, internet sleuths, and Shein’s role

Theories abound. Some say the company relied on AI-generated models that coincidentally resemble Mangione. Others believe the photo was deliberately altered to create buzz.

Either way, the fallout was immediate. Social media exploded with outrage, and Shein removed the listing after the controversy gained traction.

Beyond one murder: America’s healthcare debate

The Mangione case has tapped into something larger than one man’s crime. It has forced Americans to confront a painful truth: the cracks in the US healthcare system.

Brian Thompson represented corporate healthcare power. Mangione, to some, symbolizes the rage of those locked out of lifesaving treatment by sky-high costs. To others, he’s simply a cold-blooded killer.

The split recalls John Q, the 2002 film where Denzel Washington plays a desperate father whose son needs a heart transplant the family cannot afford. His solution: taking hostages in an ER to demand care. Unlike in Hollywood, Mangione’s story carries no heroic undertones — only tragedy and division.

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