Social media has opened up the once-private lives of celebrities and stars, with fans able to gain personal views into their emotions, interactions and travels on a daily basis. The other side of this transparency is an expectation that these peaks behind the blinds are in fact real and not crafted by third party public relations teams. The reveal that a celebrity social media account is not genuine amounts to one of the greatest crimes of the digital age.

Sunderland striker Victor Anichebe is the latest to commit such an act, as he recently revealed that he is not the true operator of his social media presence following his side’s defeat to West Ham on Saturday.

“Can you tweet something like ‘Unbelievable support yesterday and great effort by the lads! Hard result to take! But we go again!’” Anichebe’s tweet read, a tactless uncovering of the true nature of celebrity social media. The tweet was quickly deleted, but Twitter users made sure to capture and share the image, and the story was ultimately disseminated through the tabloids as well.

Anichebe is not alone in revealing the presence of third parties operating footballers’ social media accounts. New Manchester City signing Ilkay Gündogan sent out a tweet in August that seemed intended for the Twitter account of Arsenal’s Mesut Özil. The tweet even included the hashtag “YaGunnersYa” and a picture of Özil with his Arsenal teammates. The two players evidently use the same social media manager, and the quickly deleted tweet raises questions about just how little personal control footballers have over their social media presence.

#ThatMomentWhen Ilkay Gundogan thought he was Mesut Ozil ???? pic.twitter.com/FPcRhcgdGa

— Sunil aka Sunny Bond (@sunny4u007) August 1, 2016

There are some players that appear to have a greater hand in running their social media. Stoke City’s Peter Crouch showed his cleverness this weekend when faced with a Tweet that stated, “You ruin my life on FIFA,” as the striker responded, “At least I’m getting a game somewhere.” Crouch’s reply has since impressively gained over 25,000 retweets.

At least I'm getting a game somewhere ???????? https://t.co/QabJ6HW3Ia

— Peter Crouch (@petercrouch) October 22, 2016

Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney also seems to run his own account, evidenced in his reply to a tweet from Michael Owen. Rooney stated in his message, “Interesting this Michael I thought you was a united fan???” Owen’s tweet voiced support Liverpool, and while his career took off as Liverpool player, Owen spent some of his last playing years with Manchester United. The two players went back and forth in a light hearted exchange about football loyalty, with Rooney’s initial response earning over 20,000 retweets, Rooney is extremely commercially successful with a number of sponsorships, most prominently global sports brand Nike. A public relations team may have some influence in his tweets, but his recent exchange with Owen, with its colloquial grammar, shows the signs of a more genuine affair.

Interesting this Michael I thought you was a united fan??? https://t.co/NjOZ0N1fCr

— Wayne Rooney (@WayneRooney) October 22, 2016

These tweets force the public to question what exactly it means for a celebrity to be genuine, and if it is even possible to uncover the dividing line between actual personality and promoted persona. Anichebe’s gaffe actually provides a unique sort of authenticity in this regard. It is the visceral proof that much of how we view the images of celebrities and athletes is carefully orchestrated, especially when compared to tweets of more ambiguous authenticity. The tweet is a very human mistake, the kind of error to which anyone who has ever accidentally hit “reply-all” for a private email can relate. In an era where the public personas of famous athletes are carefully curated by teams of public relations experts and marketing campaigns, it is comforting to know they are still mistake prone and, above all else, utterly human.