We took this photo in Iceland. Recently, the TikTok account @joyceandlove has used it as a profile picture without our permission. The person running that account has posted racist comments on other creators’ videos. On TikTok, users can create video replies quoting or showing those hateful comments, which has amplified the problem.
Although the @joyceandlove account is private and has only 27 followers, videos that show the account’s hate speech alongside our image have reached thousands of viewers. Some of those videos have around 27,000 views and hundreds of comments. I have contacted creators who shared those videos and asked them to remove the content, and I also reported the copyright violation to TikTok.
Despite these efforts, some people insist I am personally responsible for the continued presence of the @joyceandlove posts. That claim is unfounded. I am not behind that account, and I do not support its messages.
In the wake of this, strangers have posted abusive comments on my social media profiles, including on photos of Gwen. This has been upsetting and stressful.
I want to be clear: I am not associated with the @joyceandlove account. I am actively working to have the account and the unauthorized use of our photo removed. I find the hateful comments posted under that account reprehensible and I condemn them.
Thank you to everyone who has reached out with support and to those who have helped by reporting the misuse of the image. We appreciate your assistance as we continue to address this.