Vogue cover featuring boxer Imane Khelif is fabricated | Fact check

An Aug. 30 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) includes an image of a magazine cover with Vogue’s branding that features Algerian boxer Imane Khelif.
“The first Algerian, Arab and African woman to win an Olympic boxing gold,” reads the headline on the purported “Algeria” edition of Vogue.
The post’s caption reads, “Algerian olympic champion in boxing honored by Vogue magazine.”
The post was shared more than 100 times in six days. A Threads post included a similar image of Khelif on a supposed cover of Vogue.
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The image of the magazine cover is a fabrication that wasn’t published under the Vogue brand. It’s a piece of fan art that the creator said is meant to celebrate Khelif’s talent and cultural significance. There is no “Vogue Algeria” edition of the magazine.
Khelif won a gold medal in women’s boxing at the Paris Olympics amid intense scrutiny and online harassment about her sex, a topic that generated high levels of interest in the U.S. as it tapped into the volatile politics of gender. The Algerian boxer filed a legal complaint with the Paris public prosecutor’s office for “acts of aggravated cyber harassment.”
But Khelif has not been featured as a celebrity on the cover of Vogue. The image in the Facebook post was created by an Algeria-based visual artist and fan of Khelif’s who said it was made using AI applications and Photoshop.
“The artwork envisions Imane on the cover of Vogue magazine, symbolizing her legendary status and unbreakable spirit,” the artist Cheikh Boumsersseb said in an email. “She is not only a pride of Algeria and the Arab world but also a beacon of hope for the entire globe.”
Boumsersseb’s Instagram page includes a series of digitally fabricated Vogue magazine covers and other pieces featuring Khelif’s likeness.
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“To clarify, the artwork featuring Imane Khelif is a product of my imagination and is not intended to mislead anyone,” Boumsersseb said in the caption of one such post. “This piece is crafted to celebrate Imane’s exceptional talent and cultural significance, reflecting my artistic vision.”
A review of the magazine’s website reveals there is no “Vogue Algeria” edition of the magazine.
The Facebook user who shared the post did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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