# Ryan Reynolds Tesla Deepfake Fan Ad

> A Tesla fan ad drew over 8 million reported views and calls for Ryan Reynolds to sue.

- Owner: Kevin Paffrath (Meet Kevin)
- Kind: Creator moment
- Sector: Auto & mobility
- Seed date: 2023-05-17
- Peak date: Week of May 19, 2023
- Date basis: Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.
- Spread Score: 48 (Notable, provisional), v1.2
- Mechanics: Response chain, Controversy, Platform jump, Press loop, Newsjacking

## Summary

Meet Kevin posted an AI Reynolds Tesla pitch after Musk agreed to try advertising. Musk replied, fans called for legal action, and Maximum Effort answered with an AI Musk gin ad. Both videos were later deleted; the exchange entered coverage of actors’ AI concerns.

## Timeline

- 2023-05-16 — Kevin Paffrath (Open web) — Paffrath asked Musk to advertise Tesla features at the annual shareholder meeting.
- 2023-05-16 — Elon Musk (Open web) — Musk said Tesla would try advertising in response to Paffrath.
- 2023-05-17 — @realMeetKevin (X) — Paffrath posted a Tesla fan ad with an AI-generated Ryan Reynolds.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/ryan-reynolds-tesla-deepfake-ad

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “Ryan Reynolds Tesla Deepfake Fan Ad.” Case HIS-00641. Spread Score v1.2: 48/100. Updated 2026-10-17. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-00641