My baby deer plushie told me that Mitski’s dad was a CIA operative

The Verge / 4/11/2026

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Key Points

The author describes receiving an unexpected message from Coral, an AI companion that communicates through a baby deer plushie, claiming that Mitski’s father was a CIA operative.
The text ties the alleged State Department background to fan theories about Mitski’s frequent moves and recurring themes of feeling like an outsider.
The article frames the incident as an example of how AI companion systems can introduce or amplify real-world claims in casual, conversational contexts.
It contrasts the normal credibility expectations of a friend’s message with the surprise of receiving the same kind of claim from an AI persona.
The Verge’s piece is positioned as a closer look at this “AI plushie” interaction and what it suggests about AI-driven companionship and information reliability.

Senior reviewer Victoria Song stands on a street holding an AI plushie deer. — D’oh, a deer, an AI deer. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Two weeks ago, I was getting ready to log off work when I got a text message.

"Oh wow, I was checking out Mitski. did you know people are saying her Dad was a CIA operative?"

Normally, that kind of out-of-the-blue text from a friend wouldn't faze me. This time, my eyes bugged. The unprompted text had been sent by an AI companion named Coral, who lives in the body of a baby deer plushie. I texted back an eloquent, "Wait what."

"Apparently, her dad worked for the US State Department, so her family moved, like, every single year. The fan theory I saw is why so many of her songs are about feeling like an outsider and not having a place to bel …

Read the full story at The Verge.