Payal Gaming fans rally behind creator as viral intimate clip sparks deepfake allegations

Payal Gaming fans rally behind creator as viral intimate clip sparks deepfake allegations

Social media has a habit of turning into a courtroom overnight, and Payal Gaming found herself at the centre of one such frenzy this week. A private, intimate clip began circulating online with users on X claiming that the woman featured in it was popular YouTuber and gaming creator Payal Gaming. The claims spread quickly, despite there being no confirmation, no context, and no statement from the creator herself.

The clip shot across timelines in hours. Several users casually dropped Payal’s name into the conversation, fuelling speculation. But almost as quickly, her fans pushed back, calling the assumptions irresponsible and potentially harmful. Many argued that the woman in the clip did not resemble Payal, and that the video showed tell-tale signs of digital manipulation. The loudest claim was that the clip was an AI-generated deepfake made purely to stir controversy and attract views.

As screenshots and edits continued to circulate, the tone of her fanbase hardened. They urged people to stop sharing unverified content and reminded others how easy it has become to create fake intimate videos using generative tools. One user wrote, people need to understand how easy it is to create deepfakes now. Dragging Payal’s name into this without proof is wrong. Another user noted that even as a non-fan, the clip looked obviously doctored and that ruining someone’s reputation for views is disgusting.

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This isn’t the first time a creator has been dragged into a controversy like this. Just days earlier, social media had been buzzing about a 19-minute video that many wrongly associated with creator Sweet Zannat. She later clarified publicly that the clip was not hers. Fans believe Payal is now caught in a similar wave, where AI tools and online rumour cycles collide, manufacturing scandals out of nothing.

Through all this noise, Payal Gaming has not responded. She has issued no clarification and shared no statements so far, choosing silence over engagement. For a creator of her scale, that silence is telling. Payal, whose real name is Payal Dhare, is one of India’s most influential gaming personalities with over 4.5 million YouTube subscribers and more than four million followers on Instagram. Her reach extends far beyond gaming; she has interacted with mainstream film stars and regularly features in creator-celebrity crossovers.

Fans argue that linking such a massive creator to explicit content without proof can have long-term consequences, especially in an ecosystem where women already face disproportionate harassment. Their plea is simple: pause, verify, and refuse to circulate unverified intimate clips, whether AI-made or real. The risk of reputational damage, they say, is far greater than a moment of online curiosity.