Brazilian construction worker Edimar Rocha Martins wanted to meet the love of his life so badly that he took a leap of faith. The 49-year-old sold all his belongings and traveled more than 1,200 miles to meet the woman he hoped to marry. However, Martins had a rude awakening when he learned his dream girl was an AI-generated character.
As reported by the New York Post via TV Mirante, Martins said he first came across the AI-generated persona Jéssica Oliveira on TikTok in 2020. Earlier this month, he sold his belongings to cover a trip from the northeastern Brazilian state of Maranhão to Belo Horizonte in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais. “I sold all of my things, I got rid of everything,” he said.
When Martins arrived in Belo Horizonte, the woman he’d hoped to meet was nowhere to be found. “I went to the radio station there, and they said no, that’s fake news, that woman doesn’t exist,” he shared. Disheartened, he turned to a social worker at Belo Horizonte City Hall, who helped arrange his return home. Martins explained that he had traveled such a long distance for love because he was tired of being lonely.
Adding salt to his wounded heart
In a video that has since been deleted from the TikTok account @JessicaFazendeira, the AI-generated woman said she was looking for a man she could move onto her farm and fully support economically. Later, the person behind the account shared another video admitting that the character was AI and denied ever having direct contact with Martins.
“I came here to state the obvious: I am made of artificial intelligence,” the AI-generated woman said. “I have never spoken to anyone with this profile. The intention was to gain engagement for sale. I never spoke directly to anyone, much less took anyone to Belo Horizonte. It was a surprise to me to see what is happening.”
Brokenhearted, Martins is now staying with a family member as he recovers from what seems to be a new form of catfishing. “It only brings sadness, discouragement, depression. Many people wanted to find a relationship, so I came,” he shared.
Although discouraged, Martins remains hopeful. He says he will continue searching for love and vows to return to Belo Horizonte to find someone he can settle down with. “I didn’t find her, but I’ll find another one, and it will be in the same place I went, and I’ll go again,” Martins said.
Published: Oct 21, 2026 07:32 am