LizLaz, the influencer who became an overnight internet sensation earlier this year Virat Kohli accidentally ‘liked’ one of his Instagram posts, has now revealed that several journalists allegedly approached him with offers of money to make misleading claims about the cricket star. Despite the sudden attention, he staunchly defended Kohli, insisting that he had “done nothing wrong”.Speaking about the aftermath of the viral moment, LizLaz claimed that some sections of the media tried to sensationalize the issue for their own benefit. “Some people even push you to say certain things that you don’t want to say. So some journalists were offering me money to shadow him, to say things that he apparently did,” LizLaz told Filmymantra.The agent, who calls Kohli his favorite cricketer, said he immediately rejected those offers. “But why would I do this to my favorite cricketer? I’m not like that. But yes, things like this happen too,” he said. He also addressed the AI-generated images of himself and Kohli that have been circulating online since the controversy broke out.“For me, it’s pretty funny. But for her, it’s not cool because (liking her post) was never her intention. And she didn’t do anything inappropriate,” LizLaz maintained. According to him, the interaction may be the result of Instagram’s algorithm. Since he creates travel-related content around Indian culture and follows the Indian Premier League, especially Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru franchise, he believes his content could be featured on his feed.“There is nothing wrong with it. I don’t think it should be questioned,” he said, before adding, “Virat Kohli is a big Indian icon.” He is basically India’s Messi or Ronaldo. So I think people should not destroy their name like that. It must be respected. I don’t think he had bad intentions or that he was reaching out inappropriately. He didn’t do anything wrong,” argued LizLaz.Reflecting on the day the incident exploded online, the agent described the experience as surreal. “One day I woke up and felt like I was in my Black Mirror episode,” he said, referring to the popular dystopian series Black Mirror. “I was scrolling through the news on Instagram, and all I could see were pictures of myself talking about it in some big magazines and some big podcasts. Even the media in Germany and South Africa picked it up,” he added. He also joked that Kohli became even more popular in Germany as a result of the episode.LizLaz also revealed that her sudden viral fame opened many doors professionally. After the debate she received offers for reality shows, brand endorsements and even casino promotions. However, he insisted that he only wants to accept projects that are in line with his values, instead of taking advantage of all opportunities. The buzz said he eventually hosted a cricket match in Germany where he worked as an anchor.Kohli, who currently has over 274 million followers on Instagram, has often found that his social media activity becomes a topic of discussion online. A few years ago, the singer Rahul Vaidya the cricketer claimed to have been blocked on Instagram, although it was never confirmed whether it was an actual block or simply the platform’s algorithm affecting visibility.
