The story casts itself as a dramatic rags-to-redemption narrative. (Photo: X/GanKanchi)
A story going around on social media claims an Indian man, living “illegally” in Germany, was photographed sitting next to Maisie Williams on a metro train. According to the tale, a magazine (Der Spiegel) found him, offered him a postal worker job, which then helped him get legal residence. The story casts itself as a dramatic rags-to-redemption narrative.
However, on closer inspection, several red flags emerge, signalling that it may be entirely fabricated.
The picture captured a rare contrast as the actress sat casually, enjoying her ride, and the young man sat next to her, distant and lost. His troubled look drew immediate attention when the photo surfaced online. People called it “an unusual moment of two different worlds in the same seat.”
As the image spread, curiosity grew that Who was the young man? Why did he seem so detached when sitting beside a global celebrity? German magazine Der Spiegel began looking for him, and days later, their search ended in Munich.
Reporters soon learned that the young man lived in Germany without documents. He survived each day with fear and uncertainty. When asked why he did not react to the actress beside him, he answered with honesty that moved many.
“When you don’t have a residence permit, not even one euro in your pocket, and you travel daily on trains as an undocumented person, it doesn’t matter who is sitting next to you.”
These words made the photo more than a viral moment. They revealed a harsh reality many migrants face, where survival takes priority over everything else, even fame.
The sincerity in his reply touched the Der Spiegel team. They offered him a job as a postal worker, giving him a monthly salary of €800. That job contract became his lifeline. It helped him secure a legal residence permit almost instantly.
In a matter of days, a young man who feared every train ride finally stepped into stability. He earned dignity, papers, and hope.
Upon checking and searching the internet like an owl, we found that this is an edited picture and the girl in the image is not Game of Thrones' actress Maisie Williams. Grok also confirmed that she is not Maisie Williams and that the story was fabricated.
Grok also confirmed that this was not taken in Germany, but was clicked in the London Underground Metro in 2019, and Der Spiegel (German Magazine) did not publish this news.
Grok confirmed and wrote, "The story is fabricated; the photo is from the London Underground, not Germany, the woman is not Maisie Williams, and Der Spiegel published no such article."
As it is confirmed that:
In the end, this viral tale serves as a powerful reminder of how easily stories can travel faster than facts. A single photo, a dramatic caption, and a well-crafted narrative were enough to convince thousands of people across social media.
But the truth, revealed through verification, archives, and multiple fact-checking tools, paints a very different picture.
