A widely circulated video on TikTok claiming that a marine trainer named “Jessica Radcliffe” was attacked and killed by an orca during a performance has been confirmed to be entirely fictional. The sensational clip, also shared on Facebook, alleged that the 23-year-old was fatally mauled by her killer whale, dying 10 minutes after being pulled from the water by colleagues.
Some versions of the video pushed an even more bizarre claim that the orca’s aggression was triggered by the trainer’s menstrual blood mixing with the water. Yet, the videos failed to provide any verifiable details such as the location of the supposed incident or the marine park involved.
Investigations followed and fact-checking platform Vocal Media have found no credible evidence that such a person or event exists. Searches through news archives, marine park statements, obituaries, and legal records turned up nothing linking to a “Jessica Radcliffe” in this context. Furthermore, the voices in the viral clips were identified as artificially generated, suggesting the content was manufactured using synthetic media tools.
Marine trainers named Jessica Radcliffe do not appear in any reputable databases or professional records. The narrative appears to borrow loosely from real-life tragedies involving orcas. Documented cases include the December 24, 2009 death of Alexis Martínez, a Spanish trainer at Loro Parque in Tenerife, killed by the orca Keto, and the February 24, 2010 death of senior trainer Dawn Brancheau, who was fatally attacked by Tilikum at SeaWorld Orlando.
While orcas also known as killer whales are powerful apex predators, attacks on humans are extremely rare, with only two recorded fatal incidents in captivity. In the wild, there are no confirmed cases of orcas killing humans. These marine mammals are in fact the largest members of the dolphin family, renowned for their intelligence, complex social bonds, and cooperative hunting strategies.
The fabricated Jessica Radcliffe story serves as a reminder of the dangers of misinformation online, particularly when combined with deepfake audio and video tools. Viewers are urged to verify extraordinary claims through credible news sources before sharing them further.
