Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams wanted people talking about healthy living, but his latest photo had viewers focused on something else entirely. Adams posted a shirtless image of himself posing with a cucumber and red bell pepper, and it didn’t take long for people to question everything from his choice of vegetables to whether the image was even real.
Adams explained that he was competing with his son to see who could get in better shape by their birthday, joking that his “secret weapon” was vegetables. At 65, the former mayor said he had “never been in better shape.”
The image, which some viewers suspected was AI-generated or digitally altered, showed Adams standing shirtless in a kitchen wearing white shorts and a silver necklace while holding a cucumber and red bell pepper. Adams did not identify the image as AI-generated in the post.
Adams also used the post to revisit his experience with diabetes, saying he once nearly lost his eyesight before changing his diet. He has previously credited a plant-based diet with transforming his health. However, his past comments about diabetes medication have drawn scrutiny. Vice previously reported that Adams said in a Netflix documentary that he declined prescribed medication in favor of changing his diet, while his 2020 book included a different account involving medication side effects. Medical experts have cautioned against treating his experience as general medical advice.
Eric Adams’ Shirtless Cucumber Photo Has Viewers Looking Twice #
Some viewers immediately questioned whether the unusual image was authentic. Several pointed to Adams’ appearance and other details in the photo as reasons they suspected AI or digital manipulation, although those observations alone don’t establish how the image was created.
One user itemized the absurdity of the post, highlighting the unusual combination of the fruits: “When old people use AI lol, this man just googled an image of a red pepper and was like ‘put this and a cucumber in my hands.'”
Whether the image was altered or not, plenty of others couldn’t get past one particular prop.
One viewer wrote, “You do look good, sir, but why on earth would you post yourself holding a cucumber like that?”
Commenting on the unexpected nature of the post, a blunt user stated that no one asked for a shirtless “thirst trap” of the politician. Another user jokingly admitted that the photo looked like an OnlyFans ad at first glance.
Adams may have wanted people talking about vegetables and healthy living, but the internet clearly had other ideas. At 65, the former mayor was proud to show off what he says a healthier lifestyle has done for him. Unfortunately for his message, posing shirtless with an oversized cucumber ensured plenty of viewers were focused on something other than eating their vegetables.