Fast-fashion giant Shein has found itself in trouble after using the likeness of Luigi Mangione, the American man accused of killing the UnitedHealthcare CEO, to sell cheap shirts.
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Shoppers were surprised when they clicked on the product page for “Men’s New Spring/Summer Short Sleeve Blue Ditsy Floral White Shirt”, a breezy button-up, and found a smiling Luigi Mangione as the shirt’s model. Given that Mangione is currently incarcerated in Brooklyn as he awaits trial, it's likely that the image was either edited or generated by artificial intelligence (AI).
Once the listing was discovered and began circulating online, Shein scrambled to take it down from its platform. The company justified itself by claiming that the image was not created or selected internally, but had instead been uploaded by a third-party vendor as part of Shein’s massive daily product uploads.
Shein also emphasised that it acted “immediately upon discovery” to remove the product, attempting to stop the image from spreading further as searches for “Luigi Mangione Shein” spiked on Google and screenshots went viral across social media.
After removing the listing, Shein announced that it had opened an internal investigation to trace the origin of the image and confirm whether it had been AI-generated or digitally manipulated. The company said it is reviewing its vetting process for third-party vendors and pledged to strengthen its monitoring systems so that similar incidents are caught before reaching the public. Shein also said that it would take “appropriate action” against the vendor involved once its investigation is complete.
Who is Luigi Mangione?
Luigi Mangione is the primary suspect of the December 4 2024, killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel. Authorities allege that Mangione ambushed Thompson, firing shots from a 3D-printed gun with a homemade silencer before fleeing the scene on an electric Citi Bike.
He was caught five days later in Altoona, Pennsylvania, with a manifesto that outlined criticisms of the United States’ healthcare system, and evidence matching the crime scene, including matching fingerprints. He has been indicted on 11 state charges and four federal ones, including counts ranging from first- and second-degree murder to weapons offences, stalking, and terrorism. He pleaded not guilty, but federal prosecutors intend to pursue the death penalty, in what would be the first federal death penalty case since Trump reinstated executions in 2025.
But in the online sphere, Mangione has become a sort of folk hero, supported by many young liberal Americans who view him as a symbolic protest figure against the healthcare and insurance industries. Since his incarceration, he has received many donations for his legal defence and a vast array of fan mail.
This is partly due to his perceived physical attractiveness; aged 27, Mangione is considered handsome and stylish by fans.
In fact, it’s not the first time Mangione's image is linked to clothes shopping: after a court appearance on December 23rd, social media users began speculating about the brand of his burgundy sweater. This caused the firm Maison Margiela to trend on Twitter and Threads, before it was later confirmed that he was wearing a washable Merino crewneck sweater from Nordstrom.
The sweater, which users nicknamed “Mangione Merino,” quickly sold out.
And after his February 2025 court appearance, photos of his shackled bare ankles and brown loafers went viral, with Google searches for “Luigi Mangione loafers” and “Luigi Mangione ankles” spiking dramatically. Similar to how searches for the Shein product associated with him have spiked on Google.
