Video screenshot via Duolingo
Duolingo has ruffled some feathers after being accused of copying an independent artist’s viral post. However, it has stepped away from the situation without being the butt of jokes by apologizing.
The issue began when artist Cheeks Bear (real name Julian Armstrong) called out the company on Instagram, alleging that Duolingo had replicated his content “word for word.”
Both versions featured a character shown from behind—Cheeks Bear’s namesake bear and Duolingo’s green owl mascot—paired with a swipe-based format prompting users to match their birth month to a humorous “butt type.”
The resemblance extended beyond the concept to the well-endowed execution, with comparable layout, tone, and handwritten text. Captions such as “Your birth month = Your butt” appeared across both posts, with consistent personality traits like “February = Smacked.”
Cheeks Bear expressed frustration that a large company had not reached out before using the idea, writing, “It’s not cool to steal from an artist. I pour all my creativity into every post that I make.”
As the post gained traction, followers began commenting on Duolingo’s original upload. The language-learning platform responded publicly in the artist’s comments, acknowledging the overlap and apologizing.
The company explained that the content had been produced by an external partner, but emphasized that this did not justify sharing it without credit or compensation. In its statement, Duolingo said, “We are incredibly sorry for this—one of our partners created this content but that is no excuse for sharing it without proper credit or compensation to you. The post has been deleted and we’ve reached out to you directly to make this right.”
The original post was subsequently removed, and the company confirmed it had contacted the artist privately. In a follow-up update, Cheeks Bear shared that Duolingo had apologized directly and that the two parties would be working together going forward. The artist also thanked followers for their support in bringing attention to the issue.
Image via @cheekbear’s Instagram Stories
Sometimes, a slap on the wrist cheek is all it takes for a lesson to be learned.
[via @cheekbears, images via various sources]