President Donald Trump has come under serious criticism after posting an AI-generated video showing himself playing with a big-cat following the death of William Chapman a former child actor who appeared in shows such as ITV’s May Contain Nuts and BBC productions, who died on October 10, 2026, after entering the enclosure of an Amur a Siberian tiger named Altai with Trump drawing widespread criticism for the AI generated Video.
The 23-second AI-generated clip, posted late on Tuesday, shows Trump chasing a tiger, wrestling with it, and eventually embracing the animal. Set to the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight by The Tokens, the video appears to recreate elements of the real-life attack but gives the US president a different outcome.
According to Forbes, the clip was part of a late night flurry of posts by Trump. The video followed his sharing of footage showing the fatal attack at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster, England.
Trump accompanied the original footage with the caption, “Don’t ever mess with nature! President DJT.”
What happened at Yorkshire Wildlife Park?
The incident took place on October 10 at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, where a man entered a tiger enclosure and was fatally attacked by an Amur tiger named Altai.
The man was later identified as William Chapman, who was in his early 20s. Emergency services were contacted shortly, and he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to The Telegraph.
Chapman had reportedly recorded his own approach towards the tiger shortly before the attack. The New York Post said he uploaded a video on Instagram showing him walking towards Altai while the animal rested on a raised wooden platform inside its enclosure.
President Trump posted real footage of a fatal tiger attack at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster, England, then followed it with an AI-generated video of himself interacting playfully with a tiger. The victim was William Chapman a former child actor who appeared in shows such as ITV’s May Contain Nuts and BBC productions who died on October 10, 2026, after entering the enclosure of an Amur a Siberian tiger named Altai.
Chapman, 23, before his Death, had a history of significant mental illness according to his family; the park remains closed pending investigation, and the tiger was not euthanized.
On Truth Social, Trump shared the attack footage showing the tiger clawing/biting but not the death with the caption “Don’t ever mess with nature! President DJT.” Hours later Trump followed up by posting a 23-second AI-generated clip that begins by echoing elements of the real incident, then shows him in suit and tie chasing, wrestling, and ultimately embracing the tiger while “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” plays.
Trump also shared other related content, including compilations of big-cat attacks some appearing AI-generated and a video framing himself as a lion confronting “hyenas.”
Trump’s posts did not stop with the two videos. According to Forbes, he also shared a compilation of animal attacks on people, including a clip that appeared to show a lion breaking through the glass of its enclosure to attack a zookeeper. Some of the footage in the compilation appeared to be AI-generated.
The sequence of posts drew attention to the contrast between the fatal incident and the president’s subsequent use of artificial intelligence to depict himself interacting playfully with the animal.
Trump’s posts especially the AI one, has come under heavy criticism as many people viewed the act as mocking or tastelessly reworking the tragedy thereby promoting widespread backlash from commentators, social media users, and figures such as Piers Morgan who called it “appallingly tasteless” and urged deletion, South Yorkshire’s mayor, and others who described it as insensitive or unhinged.
Chapman Family’s Response to the Disturbing Incidence
Chapman’s family described themselves as devastated by his death and said the circulation of the footage was causing them severe distress.
Reuters reported that the family had urged the public to refrain from sharing the video as they tried to come to terms with their loss.
Chapman’s family publicly urged people to stop circulating “deeply offensive media content” of the incident, stating it was causing them severe distress at a vulnerable time.
In a statement reported by The Telegraph, the family said Chapman had experienced “significant mental illness” for several years and had been prescribed “strong medication”.
“The family are utterly devastated by their loss and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened,” the statement said
His parents also expressed hope that the relevant authorities would investigate the circumstances surrounding his actions. “We are hopeful that the relevant authorities will do their utmost to get to the bottom of why our amazing son did what he did,” they said.
