“He should’ve just left it be”: Comment asking for a “description of the video” left on Chris Appleton’s book announcement post sparks debate over purchased bot followers

Followers of celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton noticed unusual comments on his page, leading some to speculate that AI bots might be at work.

Why do people think Chris Appleton paid for followers?

On Aug. 7, Appleton teased the release of his new book, Your Roots Don’t Define You, on his TikTok page.

The bottom of the book cover featured a glowing review from actress and TV host Drew Barrymore, reading, “Chris is so much more than a hair guru. I am so excited for everyone to learn who he is as he shares his personal journey!” He has appeared on her talk show multiple times.

The post quickly garnered nearly 300 comments, with many complimenting Appleton. However, some viewers noticed something strange about the accounts’ comments.

In a post on the subreddit r/popculturechat, an eagle-eyed user took a screenshot of several comments on Appleton’s TikTok.

“Cracking up that on multiple of Chris Appleton’s recent TikToks, he has been purchasing his likes and comments, and the AI paid bots are outing him in the comments. I rather just take the flop on the multiple post and delete then buy my engagement that seems to be outing him which now has real people calling out his fake engagement,” the poster wrote.

In the screenshot, a commenter wrote, “Sure! Can you provide me with the description of the video so I can craft a suitable comment?” This indicated that an AI chatbot was prompted to generate a comment for the account.

Another comment went on an unrelated tangent: “This video provides a deep insight into a complex historical event, offering valuable perspectives on a significant chapter in modern history. It prompts reflection on the impact of political movements and the role of public protest in shaping societal change.”

Others still spewed a similar sentiment about the book being inspiring.

In the comments, viewers said the potential use of bots to drive engagement may backfire.

“Yes, it’s super sad that he feels the need to fake his social media attention, all because of insecurities of not getting as much love on a post as he was wanting. It’s more embarrassing to have obvious bot comments. He should’ve just left it be,” a Reddit commenter wrote.

“OMG, Chris, the AI comments are too much. Just stop,” another said.

“I’d wager a solid 50% of creators and celebrities do this nowadays. I take this more as a sign that dude went with the cheap option,” a third added.

Appleton wasn’t the first celebrity fans called out for using fake followers to spam their comments sections. In a 2022 post on r/FauxMoi, users also called out Hilaria Baldwin, Khloe Kardashian, Scott Disick, and Demi Mawbry for purchasing engagement on social media.

Others suspected that this wasn’t the first time the hairstylist had paid for fake comments.

“I called it out on his Instagram a few months ago. All his comments would roll in at the same time, and they all would be saying the same thing. It’s always the oddest comments too. ‘Chris brought us all together as a community with this post,’” a commenter said.

“He blocked me lol! I called him out on another post because it was at like 200 likes for two days and when i looked at the post one minute and then went back to see who the girls name was that he styled it went up to like like 20k in a matter of seconds. All the comments, if you click on the profiles, you could tell they were fake accounts,” another shared.

The Daily Dot reached out to Appleton for further comment.