💔 “It stopped me cold” — Kate Garraway speaks out on fake AI ‘boyfriend’ photos and the unexpected pain they caused her grieving children

At first, she laughed it off.
A ridiculous rumour.
A clearly fake image.

But Kate Garraway has now revealed how an AI-generated hoax spiralled into something far darker — leaving her children shaken, confused, and dragged into a lie they never asked to be part of.

And the timing made it even more devastating.

 A Hoax That Surfaced on the Worst Possible Day

Almost exactly two years after the death of her husband, Derek Draper, Kate became the target of fake AI photos showing her with a so-called “new boyfriend.”

The images circulated online alongside fabricated articles — all completely untrue.

Derek, the father of Kate’s children Darcey (19) and William (16), died aged 56 in January 2024 after long-term complications from Covid.

What followed, Kate says, crossed a line she never expected.

 “I Was Fine — Until They Mentioned My Son”

Writing candidly, Kate admitted she initially shrugged off the rumours.

But as she read on, one detail made her freeze.

 “Something stopped me cold,” she revealed.
“The article claimed my son wasn’t happy and was insisting the relationship end.”

The AI-generated story portrayed William as resentful and obstructive — a narrative Kate says couldn’t be further from the truth.

 “As if Bill hasn’t already had enough to cope with — teenage life, exams, and the loss of his dad — he was suddenly being made to look selfish.”

 A Child Dragged Into a Lie

Kate was clear: the damage wasn’t about her reputation.

It was about her children.

William, she said, is the opposite of how he was portrayed — thoughtful, kind, and deeply supportive of his mother.

Yet suddenly, strangers online believed they knew his feelings better than his own family.

 “The Picture Is Completely Fabricated”

Speaking openly on Good Morning Britain, Kate explained how the fake images began appearing on Facebook — a platform she doesn’t even use.

 “AI was used to create a photo of me with an unidentified man,” she said.
“It’s completely untrue. The picture is fabricated.”

She only became aware of it when people stopped her in the street.

“They said, ‘I’m so pleased you’ve found love.’”

At first, she responded gently — understanding that many of those comments came from a place of shared grief.

But behind the scenes, the impact on her children was growing.

 When Technology Turns Cruel

What unsettled Kate most wasn’t just the lie — but how convincing it was.

A smiling photo.
A detailed story.
A believable emotional angle.

All created by AI.

And all false.

 A Family Still Healing

Kate announced Derek’s death in an emotional Instagram post in 2024, writing:

“Rest gently and peacefully now Derek, my love. I was so lucky to have you in my life.”

The couple had been married for 18 years after meeting in 2004.

Two years on, the grief remains — especially for their children.

And Kate says moments like this only reopen wounds that never truly close.

 A Warning — And a Plea

This wasn’t gossip gone too far.
This wasn’t harmless curiosity.

This was technology intruding into a family’s grief.

And for Kate Garraway, the lesson is painfully clear:

 When lies stop at adults, they hurt.
When they reach children, they scar.

As AI continues to blur reality and fiction, her story stands as a sobering reminder — not everything that looks real is, and the consequences can be devastating.