Shein accidentally uses accused CEO killer Luigi Mangione to model clothes on website

Marketing mess ups aren't uncommon, but shopping giant Shein may now have some explaining to do, after appearing to use a model on its website that resembles the likeness of accused United Healthcare CEO killer, Luigi Mangione.

Users scrolling the website were stopped in their tracks by the $9.99 floral shirt being worn by a curly-haired, bushy-browed man who looks just like the 27-year-old, who's currently behind bars awaiting sentencing.

While at first, you may just think it's someone with a similar appearance, upon closer inspection, the model for the Chinese e-commerce platform has Mangione's exact facial features, including the same freckle placement.

Luigi Mangione, who became somewhat of a bizarre internet crush following his arrest, is holed up at Metropolitan Detention Centre Brooklyn as the main suspect in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson.

Thompson was shot in New York City on 4 December 2024, and Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, five days later - and still maintains his innocence.

Given his current circumstances, it's highly unlikely Mangione was given a free pass to take a day off from jail and go model for Shein, prompting speculation that AI was used to bring the model to life - and accidentally turn them into him.

"What a strange time to be alive", one person wrote underneath a viral post highlighting the blunder.

"Am I too woke or is this really disrespectful?", another added.

One even suggested Mangione should sue Shein and then use the money to "bail himself out of jail".

"I didn't think it could get worse but here we are", a third penned.

It would appear that the mishap was accidental, as the link to the page has stopped working; but if this isn't a sign to do your research before posting online...we don't know what is.

When Indy100 reached out for comment, a Shein spokesperson responded with a statement, saying: "The image in question was provided by a third-party vendor and was removed immediately upon discovery. We have stringent standards for all listings on our platform. We are conducting a thorough investigation, strengthening our monitoring processes, and will take appropriate action against the vendor in line with our policies.”

Why not read...

Why having a crush on Luigi Mangione is a problem, according to psychologists

Everything we know about Luigi Mangione from his social media accounts

Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.