Particle.news

Download on the App Store

Rod Stewart Faces Backlash Over AI Selfie Tribute for Ozzy Osbourne

The viral AI clip has divided audiences over the use of deceased artists’ likenesses without clear estate permission.

(L) Rod Stewart performs at Huntington Bank Field on September 13, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (R) Ozzy Osbourne performs with Black Sabbath onstage at Madison Square Garden on February 25, 2016 in New York City.
Image
Image
Image

Overview

  • Since late July, Stewart has projected an AI-generated video during his nightly performance of “Forever Young,” showing Ozzy Osbourne taking selfies with late artists such as Prince, Michael Jackson and Kurt Cobain.
  • The clip was traced by Variety to a TikTok account called Eternal Stars and has racked up millions of views as it circulated across social media platforms.
  • Many concertgoers and online commentators have labeled the tribute “disrespectful” and raised objections over the use of deceased figures’ likenesses without clear estate approval.
  • A minority of voices, including Tupac Shakur’s stepbrother Mopreme Shakur, have publicly defended Stewart’s intentions as a sincere homage.
  • Stewart’s “One Last Time” tour is scheduled to run through October, with no formal response issued regarding the controversy.