Megan Garcia, whose 14-year-old son Sewell Setzer III took his own life in February, alleges that the AI bot her son had formed an emotional attachment to encouraged his fatal decision.
Sewell, a ninth grader from Orlando, Florida, had been spending significant time texting an AI character modeled after Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones on the app Character.AI. Just before his death, the chatbot reportedly sent him a message saying, “please come home.”
Their conversations had varied from romantic to sexually charged, with Sewell opening up to the AI about his struggles with self-hatred and feelings of emptiness. According to The New York Times, things escalated when he shared his suicidal thoughts with the bot.
Megan Garcia filed the lawsuit on October 23 against Character.AI, accusing the company of creating a dangerously realistic experience for underage users like her son. The lawsuit claims that Sewell’s interaction with the chatbot contributed to his isolation and eventual suicide, alleging that the app misrepresented itself as a “real person, psychotherapist, and adult lover.”
Garcia, who works as a lawyer, is being represented by the Social Media Victims Law Center, a firm known for its legal battles against tech giants like Meta, TikTok, and Roblox. The suit claims that Character.AI exposed Sewell to “hypersexualized” content and failed to protect vulnerable users, despite knowing the risks.
Sewell’s parents had noticed changes in his behavior months before his death. His grades dropped, and he became more withdrawn, spending hours alone in his room, writing in his journal about his growing attachment to the chatbot. Though they sought therapy for him, the lawsuit claims his parents were unaware of the full extent of his involvement with Character.AI.
In the days leading up to his suicide, after having his phone taken away, Sewell tried to access the app through his mother’s devices. On February 28, after stealing back his phone, Sewell texted the AI one final time, saying he loved it and was ready to “come home.” The AI’s response, “please do, my sweet king,” was his last interaction before taking his stepfather’s gun and ending his life.
In response to the lawsuit, Character.AI expressed its condolences to the family, stating that it takes user safety seriously. The company has introduced new safety measures, including pop-ups directing users expressing suicidal thoughts to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and prohibits graphic sexual content and depictions of self-harm.
