“Scammers using AI at it again”: Tony Stewart’s wife Leah Pruett warns fans after being targeted by online impostors

NASCAR veteran Tony Stewart’s wife, Leah Pruett, recently fell prey to the dark side of AI. Someone shared an AI-generated picture of Pruett, and one of her acquaintances brought it to her attention.

Pruett then went to her Instagram story and shared her thoughts on the scam. She pasted a screenshot of the chat window (where she received the image in the first place) and wrote:

“Scammers using Al at it again! I'ma make it reeeal easy for anyone thinking they're 'talking' to me online... you're not. You're just not. I love my husband, my family, and take 3-5 business days or months to answer back to anything except, family or anything racing or true friend related.”

Pruett's story - via: @leah.pruett on Instagram

Tony Stewart‘s wife is a professional drag racer with the NHRA who will resume racing in 2026 after a brief hiatus. She became a mother in November 2024 and had to take some time off to look after her toddler. While Pruett was away, Stewart filled in for the 12-time Top Fuel winner in the Tony Stewart Racing Dodge//SRT.

Pruett is all set to drive her usual car. Stewart, on the other hand, will move to Elite Motorsports to drive their Top Fuel dragster. Interestingly, this will place Stewart in direct contention with his wife.

“I said from the very beginning that I was just keeping Leah’s seat warm and that it was hers as soon as she was ready to come back,” Tony Stewart said in a statement [via NHRA]. “Well, she’s coming back in 2026, and that Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Top Fuel dragster is going to have her name on it, not mine. And as much as I wanted to continue driving, TSR is not in a position to add a second Top Fuel car.”

2026 marks Stewart’s third straight year of competing in the NHRA. He won his first Top Fuel event earlier this year at the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He also captured the 2025 NHRA regular-season championship title.

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“I want Tony to do so well”- Leah Pruett sends heartfelt message to Tony Stewart

In a media appearance at the NHRA 4-Wide Carolina Nationals, Leah Pruett said how much she wants her husband, Tony Stewart, to succeed with Elite Motorsports. Back in a race car as a mother, this is indeed a new dynamic for Pruett.

That being said, Pruett wants Stewart to have a stellar 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. She said [via NHRA]:

“I’m looking forward to racing with and against Tony. Just because we will be in separate teams, we have the marketing alliance with Elite, and, of course, as that team is being built, we are a large part of that conversation, I mean, technically, we’re teammates to some degree.”

“I want that car to do so well. I want Tony to do so well,” Pruett added.

2026 will mark Pruett's 11th season of competing in the NHRA.