Brazilian man sells belongings, travels 2,000 km to meet woman he hoped to marry, but she was not real

A 49-year-old bricklayer from Brazil sold his belongings and travelled nearly 2,000 km to meet the woman he believed he would marry, only to discover that his online girlfriend was an artificial intelligence-generated character. Edimar Martins, from Maranhão in northeastern Brazil, had been following a social media profile featuring a woman named Jessica Oliveira since 2020. Believing the relationship was genuine, he decided to travel to Belo Horizonte in southeastern Brazil to meet her in person.

The journey ended in heartbreak after Martins failed to find the woman and was told that she did not exist. He was left facing financial hardship after selling his possessions to pay for the trip.

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Brazilian man sells belongings to meet AI girlfriend

Martins told local broadcaster TV Mirante that he sold his personal belongings on October 9 to finance a bus journey to Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais. He arrived in the city on October 11, hoping to meet the woman he had fallen in love with online.

“I sold all my things, I got rid of everything,” Martins said, describing the sacrifices he had made to meet her. “That’s how you get discouraged, who wouldn’t get discouraged?”

When he could not locate Jessica, Martins approached a local radio station for help. He was reportedly told that the woman he was searching for was not real.

“I went to the radio station there, and they said no, that’s fake news, that woman doesn’t exist,” he said.

AI-generated woman promised to support him financially

The woman Martins believed he was travelling to meet appeared in videos posted on a TikTok account, @JessicaFazendeira, which reportedly had around 300,000 followers. The account featured an AI-generated persona who portrayed herself as a woman seeking a partner to live with her on a farm.

In one video that was later deleted, the character claimed she wanted a man she could welcome to her property and support financially, promising that he would never need to work again.

“I really want to support you, I want you to come to my farm and never work again in your life,” the AI-generated character said in the video.

The portrayal appears to have contributed to the impression that Jessica was a real person. However, the individual behind the account later acknowledged that the character had been created using artificial intelligence and denied having direct conversations with Martins.

Person behind TikTok account admits character was created using AI

In a video posted on Wednesday, the person responsible for the account addressed the controversy and clarified that the woman featured in the videos was AI-generated.

“I came here to state the obvious: I am made of artificial intelligence,” the character said in the video.

The person behind the account also denied personally speaking to Martins or asking him to travel to Belo Horizonte.

“I have never spoken to anyone with this profile. The intention was to gain engagement for sale,” the statement read.

“I never spoke directly to anyone, much less took anyone to Belo Horizonte. It was a surprise to me to see what is happening.”

The revelation left Martins dealing with emotional disappointment as well as financial difficulties after spending the money he had raised by selling his belongings.

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Brazilian man receives help to return home

After failing to find Jessica and running out of money, Martins approached Belo Horizonte City Hall for assistance. He reportedly spoke to a social worker and explained that he had travelled a long distance in search of love because he was tired of being alone.

He subsequently received assistance to return home.

Reflecting on the experience, Martins described the emotional toll of believing he had found a partner, only to discover that the identity behind the relationship was artificial.

“It only brings sadness, discouragement, depression. Many people wanted to find a relationship, so I came,” he said.

Despite the setback, Martins has not given up on finding a partner. He is currently staying with a family member and has expressed his determination to return to Belo Horizonte in the hope of meeting someone with whom he can build a future.

“I didn’t find her, but I’ll find another one, and it will be in the same place I went, and I’ll go again,” he said.

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