The viral social media storm surrounding an accidental Instagram “like” from Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli has taken a dark and manipulative turn. In a shocking disclosure, German-South African content creator and singer LizLaz (Jennifer) revealed that multiple media figures and journalists offered her financial compensation to invent false allegations and smear Kohli’s public reputation.
Defending the legendary batsman, the influencer clarified that she rejected the unethical offers instantly, emphasizing that the cricketer behaved with absolute propriety.
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Virat-LizLaz controversy explained
The controversy initially ignited when netizens spotted that Virat’s official Instagram handle had liked a travel and lifestyle post uploaded by LizLaz. Given Kohli’s monumental digital footprint as the most followed Indian individual on the platform – boasting over 274 million followers – the interaction was instantly screenshotted and weaponized into clickbait fodder before the “like” was eventually removed.
Reflecting on the overwhelming initial explosion of global media interest, LizLaz described the sudden fame as incredibly jarring.
“I woke up one day and felt I was in my own Black Mirror episode,” she told Filmymantra, referencing the popular techno-dystopian Netflix drama. “I was scrolling through the news on Instagram, and I could see only pictures of myself on some big magazines and big podcasts talking about this.”
Rejecting Bounty to Protect Virat Kohli
LizLaz disclosed that specific journalists tried to exploit her overnight popularity by pushing a pre-engineered narrative of inappropriate behavior against Virat Kohli, attempting to buy her cooperation.
“Some journalists even offered me money to say bad things about him (Virat Kohli) and make allegations about things he never did. But why would I do that?” the influencer said to Filmymantra Media.
A self-proclaimed fan of Indian culture and Kohli’s IPL franchise, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the travel vlogger reiterated that she refused to compromise her integrity for cheap notoriety.
Understanding Celebrity Social Media Hazard
This instance marks the second high-profile occasion where Virat Kohli’s digital interactions have been aggressively sensationalized. A similar digital mishap previously occurred involving Indian television actress Avneet Kaur, prompting Kohli to release an explicit clarification blaming automated platform errors.
“I’d like to clarify that while clearing my feed, it appears the algorithm may have mistakenly registered an interaction. There was absolutely no intent behind it,” Kohli had stated previously to shut down groundless public speculation.
