Marilyn Denis wants you to know she’s not going anywhere.
The host of The Marilyn Denis Show on CTV, and co-host of CHUM 104.5 Toronto mornings, continues to dispel rumours after finding herself at the centre of an online scam hijacking her personal brand.
Denis’ name and image are being used as click bait for online ads promoting an anti-aging cream that also bill the veteran broadcaster as retired.
The fact is, Denis doesn’t endorsing any product lines, for skin cream or anything else and is urging people not to click on the Facebook and Twitter links.
“I need to speak about this, I’m getting the word out,” said Denis in a Bell Media release. “Because people need to know that I’m doing something about this, to try to stop people from getting suckered in.”
Denis isn’t the only Bell Media personality to have been targeted. Melissa Grelo, CTV Your Morning and The Social co-host, and etalk’s Lainey Lui have been featured in similar scam ads, in addition to celebrities like Kelly Ripa and Dr. Oz.
Dr. Oz will appear on The Marilyn Denis Show this Wednesday, Oct. 3 to talk about how he navigated the issue.
Denis says she feels a personal sense of betrayal and extreme violation.
“It’s so infuriating, and I’m so angry, but I’m also so appreciative of everybody who is working on it,” said Denis. “This conversation is not going to stop until we figure this one out.”
Denis and Bell Media were made aware of the fraudulent ads last month, some of which claimed she was leaving her show, while also linking to a line of skin-care products.
“When I’m asked the question ‘why you?’ my answer is, I don’t know,” Denis said. “I’ve thought a lot about it, and I’m still not sure, other than, I’ve been on the air for a long time and I have built up a brand, and it’s a trusted brand.
“It’s not that the trust I’ve built up is going to go away, but I still think, who are these crooks, and how are you hurting my viewers and my listeners? How dare you do that? It’s just something that I never would have imagined.”
Denis says outside experts have been hired to do investigative work, but finding those behind the online scam is like “playing a game of whack-a-mole.”
“I am not leaving and there is no product line that I am endorsing, so please do not give out your information,” Denis said. “They are scammers. They are sneaky. They play the game. But if no one is engaging with them, then they won’t have a business, and that’s what I want.”
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