A shocking video claiming to show a whale trainer named Jessica Radcliffe being killed by an orca has been making the rounds on TikTok and Facebook — but experts say the entire story is fake.

The viral clip, which appeared to be filmed during a live whale show, claimed Radcliffe was attacked and killed at Pacific Blue Marine Park, ENews said.

However, multiple reports confirm there is no record of an orca trainer by that name, no official incident reports, and no credible news coverage of such an event.

Investigators found the video was created using artificial intelligence. According to the InternationalBusinessTimes, analysts determined the clip used AI-generated voices and edited archival footage.

The realistic details — including a false claim that the attack was triggered by menstrual blood — were added to make the story more dramatic. Experts note that such emotional hooks are common in fabricated viral content.

The AI hoax seems to pull pieces from two real-life tragedies — the 2009 death of Alexis Martínez, an orca trainer at Loro Parque in Spain, and the 2010 death of Dawn Brancheau, a trainer at SeaWorld Orlando.

Why the Fake Jessica Radcliffe Video Fooled So Many Viewers

Both incidents received worldwide media attention and were later examined in documentaries like Blackfish.

Because those real events were widely known, experts believe they helped the fake Radcliffe story seem more believable to viewers unfamiliar with the truth.

"Tying a false claim to a real tragedy is one of the most effective ways misinformation spreads," one analyst told IBT.

The spread of the fake video has renewed questions about social media's role in stopping misinformation.

TikTok and Facebook have tools to catch and remove misleading posts, but often the damage is done before anything gets flagged.

By the time a hoax is taken down, it's already gone viral — and all that attention can even make it profitable for the platforms through ad clicks.

Experts say the issue isn't just the tech; it's human nature. People are naturally drawn to shocking or scary stories, especially if they hint at danger or tragedy.

According to Forbes, this "morbid curiosity" makes us more likely to share something before stopping to check if it's true.