TV meteorologist devastated as 'degrading' semi-nude deepfakes of her spread across the internet

A former TV news meteorologist has shared how she was left devastated and traumatized as doctored images and semi-nude deepfake videos of her spread across the internet last year.

Bree Smith, 43, shared her experience at Tennessee House of Representatives on Wednesday as she testified in support of the Preventing Deep Fake Images Act, The Tennessean reports.

The bill would make it a felony in the state to disclose or threaten to disclose or solicit the disclosure of an intimate digital depiction with the intent to harass, annoy, threaten, alarm or cause substantial harm to the finances or reputation of the depicted individual.

It would also let people sue and recover financial damages from those who post pictures or videos of intimate digital depiction... without the consent of the individual or those who recklessly disregard whether the individual has consented to such disclosure.

For Smith, the former chief meteorologist at WTVF, the disturbing images started popping up on social media in the fall, when fake Facebook accounts... used fake pictures that showed my face on someone elses seminude body, she told the Tennessee House Criminal Justice Subcommittee.

They also make fake videos that used my face and my name to convince people that it was really me, she claimed.

Discovering these imposter accounts an seeing the degrading fake images and videos was devastating to me. 

Bree Smith, 43, shared how she was left devastated and traumatized as doctored images and semi-nude deepfake videos of her spread across the internet last year

The former meteorologist for WTVF shared her story as she testified in support of the Preventing Deep Fake Images Act at Tennessee House of Representatives on Wednesday

She went on to claim those who had created the fake images and videos were using them to try to convince her fans to send them money.

In one case, she said a viewer received a few fake videos in which it appeared Smith promised many sexual acts and asked the viewer to send them money to book a two-night stay at the Conrad Hotel.

By doing so, those social media users violated me and they preyed on Tennesseans, Smith said.

When she then reached out to WTVF, I was told that nothing could be done - it was not illegal and I had no recourse.

I felt humiliated and scared, Smith recounted. I didnt know what to do or how to fight it and I didnt know how to protect the viewers and the people that trusted me online from being subject to this kind of extortion.

WTVF station manager Richard Eller has since told the Tennessean the station wholeheartedly shares her frustrations as he explained how staff tried to stop the imposters.

We did everything in our power to help her, seeking expert advice to make sure we were doing all we could, he said.

We exhausted our options with the social media platforms to try to get them to take action, reported the situation to Metro Police and launched an investigation through our corporate security team. Nothing worked. 

Smith claimed those who had created the fake images and videos were using them to try to convince her fans to send them money

The whole situation wound up being very degrading for Smith, who said it caused her to face a very dark depression.

Having my face, my reputation and my identity distorted into something so vile and vulnerable traumatized me and my family, Smith told lawmakers on Wednesday.

This has devastated my lifes work, she added, saying she became a meteorologist because I believed that I could help people.

I believed that when severe weather was happening, I could save peoples lives, Smith explained.

So to then have my face, my reputation, the trust this community put in me now being weaponized, to hurt the very people I spent my career trying to protect? I mean it essentially, it stole what I worked so hard to create and put me in an impossible place where now I was the threat to the people I spent my career protecting.

It is unclear whether the scandal led to Smiths departure from the news station in January, which WTVF said came when her contract ended and she and station managers could not agree on new terms. 

It is unclear whether the scandal led to Smiths departure from the news station in January, which WTVF said came when her contract ended and she and station managers could not agree on new terms

Following Smiths powerful testimony on Wednesday, the Tennessee House Criminal Justice Subcommittee voted seven to zero to advance the bill - which was sponsored by Rep. Jason Powell, a Democrat from Nashville.

She called the subcommittees move overwhelming, though she noted there is still a lot of work to be done.

But Im lad to see progress moving forward because I think that this is necessary as a protection for everybody in Tennessee.