Who is the Torenza Passport woman and why is the JFK Airport video going viral? Explained
A viral video showing a woman at JFK presenting a passport from the nonexistent country ‘Torenza’ has sparked theories of AI-generated misinformation.
A bizarre video from John F Kennedy International Airport has taken the internet by storm, showing a woman confidently presenting a passport from ‘Torenza’, a country that doesn't exist on any map or official record. The clip, which surfaced earlier this week, and has racked up millions of views on TikTok and Instagram, depicts the traveler arriving from Tokyo and calmly explaining Torenza's location in the Caucasus region during a stunned immigration interview.
The incident has sparked a whirlwind of theories, from deepfake hoaxes to parallel universe glitches, amid rising concerns over AI-generated misinformation.
“The viral story of the Torenza (country never existed) Passport Woman landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York is raising concern over misinformation from AI-Generated news,” one person wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter. They also attached the viral video.
“Authorities at JFK International Airport were left baffled when a woman arriving from Tokyo presented a passport issued by a nation called Torenza, a country that, according to all known records, maps, and databases, simply does not exist,” another person added.
However, the video is AI-generated. "This viral story about a woman at JFK with a passport from "Torenza" appears to be a hoax, inspired by the old "Man from Taured" urban legend. No credible news sources or official airport statements confirm it. It's likely AI-generated misinformation spreading on social media," Elon Musk-led Grok fact-checked online claims.
Chaos at Tokyo Airport
In the summer of 1954, Tokyo’s Haneda Airport witnessed a similar incident. A well-dressed Caucasian man arrived on a flight from Europe, confidently presenting a passport from a nation no one had ever heard of — Taured.
The man insisted that Taured was a small sovereign country nestled between France and Spain, exactly where Andorra sits today.
His passport looked genuine, complete with immigration stamps from several real countries, including Japan. Fluent in multiple languages, he claimed to be on a routine business trip, bewildering customs officers who could find no record of Taured anywhere in the world.
Authorities detained him overnight at a nearby hotel under strict guard while they investigated. By morning, both the mysterious traveler and all his belongings had vanished without a trace. No exit was recorded, and his hotel room remained locked from the inside. The story became known as ‘The Man from Taured’.
