19.10.2026 09:11
A 49-year-old man in Brazil sold all his belongings and traveled 2,100 kilometers to build a new life with a woman he fell in love with on social media. However, he learned that the woman who filled his dreams did not actually exist; she was a virtual character created with artificial intelligence. The man, deeply disappointed, had to seek help from the municipality because he had no money left for the return trip.
The search for love of 49-year-old construction worker Edimar Rocha Martins, who lives in Brazil, ended in great disappointment. Martins, living in the city of Imperatriz in the state of Maranhão, was influenced by the posts of a woman known on social media by the name Jéssica Oliveira and also known as "Jéssica Fazendeira," and decided to live with her. However, this decision led him to learn a truth that would change his life.
HE SOLD EVERYTHING FOR LOVE
Believing that the woman he met on social media was real, Martins sold his belongings to build a new life with her. The 49-year-old man, who used his resources to cover travel expenses, boarded a bus on October 9 and set off toward Belo Horizonte, the capital of the state of Minas Gerais. After a journey of approximately 2,100 kilometers, Martins reached the city on October 11 and began searching for the woman with whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life.
HE SEARCHED STREET BY STREET SHOWING HER PHOTOS
Carrying the woman's photos with him, Martins asked people he encountered in the city whether they knew her. However, no one recognized the person he was looking for. Unable to reach the woman for a long time, Martins asked for help from a local radio station. But the information he was given there turned all his dreams upside down.
THE WOMAN HE FELL IN LOVE WITH TURNED OUT TO BE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
It was understood that Jéssica, with whom Martins wanted to live, was not a real person, but a virtual character created with artificial intelligence for social media. On the account, which was stated to have more than 300,000 followers, videos were being shared showing Jéssica living on a farm and looking for a man to accompany her.
In one of the videos, the virtual character said that the man who would come to live with her would have his financial needs met and would no longer have to work. Martins was also influenced by these posts and believed that the woman would offer him a new life.
HE WAS LEFT ALONE AFTER HIS MOTHER'S DEATH
Martins, who made statements after his disappointment, explained that he felt lonely after his mother's death and therefore wanted to make a new beginning.
Stating that after losing his mother he wanted to get away from the city where he lived, Martins said that the woman he met on social media gave him hope that he could be happy again.
HE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE MONEY LEFT TO RETURN
Martins, who spent all his money on the journey, realized after learning the truth that he did not have money to return to the city where he lived.
Martins applied to the Belo Horizonte Municipality's social support unit for immigrants and was provided with transportation assistance. Municipal officials obtained a bus ticket so that the 49-year-old man could leave the city. Martins then set off to go to the state of Tocantins, where he was born.
A STATEMENT CAME FROM THE VIRTUAL WOMAN'S ACCOUNT
After the incident was reflected in the press, a statement was made from the social media account of the virtual character named Jéssica.
The person managing the account confirmed that Jéssica was created with artificial intelligence and stated that the account was used for commercial purposes and to generate engagement.
The statement argued that there had been no private communication with Martins and that no personal invitation had been made to him. Thus, the question of whether Martins actually corresponded one-on-one with the person he thought he was communicating with did not become clear.
DESPITE HIS DISAPPOINTMENT, HE DID NOT GIVE UP ON LOVE
Martins, who experienced great disappointment, said that despite all this, he had not lost hope of finding true love. The Brazilian man expressed that he could not find the woman he was looking for, but that he wanted to meet someone else in the future and build a new life.