The family of William Chapman, a 23-year-old killed by a tiger at a British wildlife park, has urged people to stop circulating distressing online content after President Donald Trump shared footage of the attack and later posted an AI-generated tiger video.
Chapman died on October 10 after entering an enclosure at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster, England. Emergency responders attended, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. His relatives said the spread of offensive material was intensifying their suffering as they struggled with his death.
Trump reposted footage of the incident on Truth Social on October 13, adding a warning about interfering with nature. The clip showed part of the attack but did not show Chapman’s death.
A separate, computer-generated video subsequently depicted Trump grappling and playing with a tiger before embracing it. ITV News reported that the sequence appeared to imitate the original footage, including a pointing gesture Chapman made toward the animal.
In their statement, released on October 13, Chapman’s relatives asked people to stop sharing the material. They remembered him as a loving young man and said he had experienced serious mental illness over several years.
The family said any role his medical history played in the incident should be determined by the coroner. Their statement appealed for respect for that process, rather than speculation about why he entered the enclosure.
The controversy also prompted a response from the British prime minister’s office. Downing Street said the family’s wishes should be respected, while declining to comment directly on Trump’s social media activity, Sky News reported.
Born Free Foundation executive president Will Travers criticized the AI video as insensitive and warned it could encourage dangerous contact with wild animals.
Chapman’s former school, Jackie Palmer Stage School in High Wycombe, also paid tribute, remembering his development as a student and performer and offering condolences to his loved ones.
Doncaster authorities have launched a health and safety investigation. The wildlife park has confirmed that Altai, the Amur tiger involved, will not be euthanized. An inquest into Chapman’s death was scheduled to open at Doncaster Coroner’s Court on October 15.
