Virat Kohli's viral 'like' row: Influencer LizLaz says she was offered money to smear him — 'He did nothing wrong'
A social media interaction, she says, quickly snowballed into something far more intense
A viral Instagram 'like' involving cricketer Virat Kohli has taken a far more serious turn than expected, with German-South African influencer LizLaz now alleging that journalists tried to pay her to fabricate claims against him.
Earlier this year, LizLaz found herself unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight after Kohli 'liked' one of her posts on Instagram, a moment that spiralled into viral speculation, AI-generated images, and endless online chatter. A fleeting social media interaction, she says, quickly snowballed into something far more intense.
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Now, months after the noise peaked, LizLaz suggests that parts of the narrative may have been deliberately engineered. Speaking to Filmymantra, she claimed that certain media figures attempted to influence her version of events.
“Some people also push you to say certain things you don’t want to say. So, there were some journalists who’d offer me money to throw shade at him, to say things he apparently did that he did not,” LizLaz told Filmymantra.
She stressed that she refused those offers outright, adding that Kohli remains one of her favourite cricketers. “But why would I do this to my favourite cricketer? I’m not like this. But yes, things like these also happen,” she said.
Despite the online frenzy, LizLaz has consistently defended Kohli’s intent. Reacting to the viral AI-generated images and speculation linking them together, she pushed back strongly on the negativity surrounding the cricketer.
“For me, it’s quite funny. But for him, it’s not nice because it (liking her post) was never his intention. And he didn’t do anything inappropriate,” she maintained.
She stressed that she refused those offers outright, adding that Kohli remains one of her favourite cricketers. “But why would I do this to my favourite cricketer? I’m not like this. But yes, things like these also happen,” she said.
Recalling how overwhelming the moment became when the story exploded online, she said: “I woke up one day and felt I was in my own Black Mirror episode,” referring to the Netflix series. She added that her social media was suddenly flooded with coverage from global outlets: “I was scrolling through the news on Instagram, and I could see only pictures of myself on some big magazines and big podcasts talking about this. Even German and South African media covered this,” she said, even joking that Kohli’s popularity may have grown further in Germany because of the controversy.
The unexpected attention, she admits, also brought opportunities, ranging from reality show offers and brand deals to even casino promotions. Still, she insists she is selective about what she takes on, choosing only opportunities aligned with her values. She also noted that the episode indirectly led to a cricket match being played in Germany, where she served as an anchor.
The incident is not the first time Kohli’s Instagram activity has sparked headlines. Earlier, a similar situation involved actor Avneet Kaur, which escalated to the point where Kohli issued a clarification.
“I’d like to clarify that while clearing my feed, it appears the algorithm may have mistakenly registered an interaction. There was absolutely no intent behind it. I request that no unnecessary assumptions be made,” he had said.
Kohli, who remains the most followed Indian celebrity on Instagram with over 274 million followers, has often found his social media activity under public scrutiny.
