Zara McDermott appears at a Cannes event following online controversy over remarks linked to an innocent kiss. According to the reports, McDermott is pictured accepting a platonic kiss from Joey Essex at an event, which then leads to cheating and relationship speculation online. The articles say McDermott is currently dating One Direction singer Louis Tomlinson and that she is also working with Essex on the TV series “Cooking With The Stars.” After the initial rumors, the stories add that McDermott becomes the subject of an AI deepfake campaign, which supporters and fans criticize and rally against. The outlets frame McDermott’s reaction as dismissing the drama as she continues public appearances, including her red carpet appearance at Cannes. They also report that fans defend her and encourage her to ignore attempts to undermine her. Across the accounts, there is agreement that the controversy begins with the kiss, expands into cheating claims, and is followed by reports of AI-generated content circulating online.