Phil Foden is speaking to lawyers after disturbed internet trolls circulated hoaxes which suggested that one of his children had died, and that another had been diagnosed with cancer, according to reports.
The Manchester City star has been the subject of a number of online rumours, with social media users creating AI images appearing to show Foden and his partner Rebecca Cooke crying together, alongside one of their children.
A legal team is working with Foden’s management in a bid to remove the stories and pictures from the social media platforms.
On Facebook, false posts circulated which claimed that Foden’s eldest son Ronnie, six, had passed away.
Another post on the platform, by an account called Man City Fan Lover, told of Foden’s ‘Heartbreaking Confession’ ‘Breaking the Internet’, alleging that the England international was ‘struggling to stay focused on football’ following the diagnosis of his four-year-old daughter True with cancer.
Such was the volume of posts about Foden and his family that the players name was trending on social media sites in the aftermath of the release of fake information.
Phil Foden and his partner Rebecca Cooke have taken legal action in a bid to snuff out sick online lies about their family
AI images generated by social media trolls have claimed that Foden’s four-year-old daughter has cancer
Foden shares three children with Cooke – son Ronnie, daughter True, and Phil Jnr (not pictured)
A number of fans taken in by the hoaxes have sent well-wishes to the couple on social media, and may remain unaware that the claims are untrue.
Cooke, who shares three children with Foden including their youngest Phil Jnr, is believed to have addressed the distressing lies on her own social media platform, calling them ‘sickening’.
‘We are aware of the pages and accounts spreading these stories,’ Cooke shared via her Instagram profile. ‘They are completely false and very disturbing.
‘I don’t understand how people can make up these things about anyone, especially children. It’s sickening.
‘We are all absolutely fine thank god & thank you for all your concerns we are doing everything we can to stop them.’
‘Please report any posts or pages you come across sharing these false stories.’
