A fabricated, AI-generated video showing University of Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian slapping ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe has ignited a debate over media literacy, celebrity responsibility, and the growing difficulty of separating fact from fiction online.
The controversy began after Sarkisian brushed past Rowe on the field following Texas’ 24-23 upset win over Ohio State, running off to celebrate with his team instead of stopping for her interview. The next day, a fake video began circulating showing Sarkisian slapping Rowe as he left the field - an incident that never happened. Texas quarterback Arch Manning drew backlash after calling the clip “hilarious” during a press conference, though he later apologized, saying his comments were insensitive. Rowe accepted the apology.
A “trap” for a young athlete
Former sports reporter Jeanna Trotman stopped by Live in the D for this week’s What’s the Buzz segment and said she placed more blame on the adults in the room than on Manning himself.
“I saw a kid who made the wrong decision, the wrong comment immediately,” Trotman said, adding that the reporter who prompted Manning’s reaction bore significant responsibility. “You have an adult in the room with credentials supposed to ask real thought-out questions, and that’s the question he asked.”
Still, Trotman said fame comes with obligation.
“As one of the most popular quarterbacks in college football, as someone who is getting a lot of money to be the most popular quarterback in college football, you have a responsibility with that,” she said.
“This is what my research warned about”
Dr. Doda Lulgjuraj, Ph.D., author of a book on raising teens in a world built to mislead them, said the episode validated concerns he has long studied.
“My initial thought was this is what my research warned about and this is why I wrote the book,” he said. “That real moment that happened there gave that fake AI video life and, to an extent, some credibility.”
Lulgjuraj also argued the manufactured outrage distracted from Sarkisian’s actual conduct.
“It’s actually letting Coach Sark off the hook for the way he disrespected her in real life,” he said.
A silver lining
Filmmaker Stephen McGee said accountability should extend beyond Manning to the technology itself.
“The AI companies that allowed the clip to be made should be held accountable,” McGee said.
Despite the controversy, McGee pointed to how Rowe and Manning privately resolved the matter afterward as a bright spot.
“We got to really take the time to see what’s real and what’s not,” he said.
To watch the segment, click on the video above.