Each day, around 1.5 million hours of video are uploaded to the internet daily across the most popular platforms online. This massive flood of content speaks to the increasing importance of video in our modern era. It also means that, with so much content vying for your attention, people look for “creative” ways to break through the noise.
Earlier this month, Brooklyn rapper Troy Ave and his friend, celebrity chef Geoff Cole, were accused of staging a shootout and robbery incident that Cole initially posted on Instagram. The video, shared by Cole, showed a masked individual attempting to rob him outside his San Diego home, with Troy Ave intervening and firing shots to ward off the attacker.
However, sources close to the situation later informed TMZ that the entire event was fabricated for social media attention, and no live rounds were fired. Local officers confirmed they had no reports of such an incident occurring at the time of the alleged event. As of Friday (July 18), San Diego police were investigating the matter to determine what really went down.
To be fair, neither Troy Ave nor Cole had publicly addressed the accusations of staging the incident, but some speculated the stunt was an attempt to promote a song – which just happen to be playing in Cole’s car – at the time of the alleged crime.
There are several reasons why individuals might create or share fake social media content, spanning from seeking validation and popularity to deliberately misleading others. Whatever the end game, some folks have found success (time and time again) with staged scenarios.
Scroll below for more outrageously fake moments in social media history.
1. Carlee Russell and The Roadside Toddler
In 2023, an Alabama woman named Carlee Russell, faked seeing a toddler abandoned on the side of a highway. She then disappeared for 49 hours, leading to a massive search effort.
Upon her return, Russell claimed she had been abducted and forced into a vehicle after stopping to check on the toddler. However, police quickly grew suspicious of her story, particularly since no other witnesses saw a toddler on the highway. She eventually admitted that she had fabricated both the sighting of the toddler and her abduction.
Russell was charged with two misdemeanors: filing a false police report and falsely reporting an incident. She pleaded guilty and received a six-month suspended jail sentence, one year of probation, and 100 hours of community service, as well as being ordered to pay $18,000 in restitution.
2. Bruno Crashes (Ass-First) Into Eminem
This 2009 incident quickly became the most talked-about highlight of the MTV Movie Awards. Sacha Baron Cohen (dressed as his fictional character Bruno) was suspended by wires and then “accidentally” descended onto
Eminem.
Eminem’s initial reaction appeared to be one of anger but it was later revealed that the incident was rehearsed by both men.
3. Bow Wow Gets Caught Lying About His "Private Jet"
In 2017, Bow Wow was criticized publicly after an Instagram post suggested he was traveling to New York on a private jet.
A Snapchat user shared a photo of Bow Wow on a commercial flight to New York, contradicting his post. The private jet photo was discovered to be a stock image from a Florida-based VIP transportation company.
4. Balloon Boy
In 2009, Richard and Mayumi Heene falsely claimed that their six-year-old son, Falcon, had accidentally launched into the sky in a homemade helium balloon resembling a flying saucer. Millions watched in horror, believing the small boy was trapped inside. The balloon eventually landed, empty. Hours later, Falcon was found in the family’s attic above the garage, safe.
Mayumi Heene later admitted the incident was staged, allegedly to gain publicity and possibly secure a reality TV show. Richard Heene pleaded guilty to attempting to influence a public servant, a felony. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail and ordered to pay $36,000. Heene pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of false reporting to authorities and received 20 days in jail.
5. Elizabeth Holmes
Elizabeth Holmes founded the company Theranos, which promised to revolutionize blood testing. This vision captivated investors and the public, leading to Theranos reaching a valuation of $9 billion at its peak, and Forbes recognizing Holmes as the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire in 2015.
However, these claims were ultimately found to be false. In 2022, Holmes was sentenced to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison.
6. Eagle Snatches Baby
This video, which circulated widely in 2013, shows a golden eagle swooping down and grabbing a toddler from a park in Montreal. It was later revealed to be a fake, created using 3D animation by students. The video was so convincing it was even featured on news outlets like “Good Morning America”.
7. "Brick Lady"
Roda Osman, also known as the “Brick Lady” on social media, is a Houston woman who gained notoriety for claiming she was attacked with a brick by a man outside a nightclub in September 2023. Osman’s story went viral, sparking online debates and leading to a GoFundMe campaign that raised over $40,000.
However, investigations led to charges of felony theft by deception against Osman, accusing her of fabricating the story to fraudulently raise funds. Some reports indicate Osman has a history of making false claims.
8. The Curious Case of Jussie Smollett
In 2019, Smollett reported being attacked by two masked men who used slurs, poured a chemical on him, and put a noose around his neck. He also claimed they referenced “MAGA country”.
He gained national attention from the situation. However, inconsistencies in Smollett’s account led police to suspect the attack was fabricated, and he was charged with filing a false police report.
9. The 21 Savage Biopic.. starring Donald Glover
21 Savage and Donald Glover collaborated on a project that initially presented itself as a biopic trailer titled “American Dream: The 21 Savage Story”. The trailer featured both 21 Savage and Donald Glover alongside Caleb McLaughlin, with Glover portraying an older version of 21 Savage and McLaughlin playing his younger self. However, it was later revealed that the “biopic” was a spoof.
10. Ashley Todd & The Obama Hoax
In 2008, Ashley Todd, a 20-year-old College Republican volunteer in Pennsylvania, told police that she was robbed at knifepoint by a man who, upon seeing a McCain bumper sticker on her car, proceeded to assault her and scratch a backward letter “B” into her cheek, implying it was a politically motivated attack related to Obama’s candidacy. Two days later, on October 24, after being confronted with evidence like surveillance photos and a polygraph test, Todd admitted to fabricating the entire story. She claimed she saw the mark on her face while driving and, having experienced memory loss episodes before, assumed she had inflicted it upon herself, but couldn’t explain why she lied to the police. She was charged with filing a false police report.
11. The Homeless Man GoFundMe Scam
Katelyn McClure was involved in a widely publicized GoFundMe scam with her then-boyfriend Mark D’Amico and homeless veteran Johnny Bobbitt Jr.. In 2017, they created a GoFundMe campaign that falsely claimed Bobbitt had given McClure his last $20 when she ran out of gas on a Philadelphia interstate ramp. This story went viral, raising over $400,000 from approximately 14,000 donors in a month.
12. PizzaGate
This fake news story, which gained traction on social media, falsely claimed a pizza shop in Washington D.C. was the center of a child sex ring involving Hillary Clinton and her campaign. This story escalated to the point where a man brought a rifle into the shop and fired it.
13. Coldplay Kiss Cam: The Apology Letter
The Kiss Cam moment was real, but the apology letter? Not so much.
A video from a Coldplay concert showing a couple reacting with apparent panic when the Kiss Cam focused on them led to widespread speculation about an affair. However, the company of the man involved later denied the viral statement circulating online was real.
14. CeeLo's Cellphone Explodes Near his Head
In 2016, a video appearing to show CeeLo Green injured by an exploding cell phone went viral. The black and white, surveillance-style footage showed Green answering a call in a recording studio, then collapsing after the phone seemed to ignite and explode near his face.
Green later took to Facebook to clarify that the video was staged and part of a new musical project he was creating.
15. Troy Ave Fakes Shooting
Reports suggest that a recent alleged shooting involving rapper Troy Ave, where he was seen firing a gun in defense of his friend, Chef Geoff Cole, during an apparent robbery attempt, was staged for social media attention. The incident involved a masked man allegedly attempting to rob Chef Geoff Cole outside his San Diego home. Surveillance video shared by Cole showed Troy Ave pulling out a gun and firing shots in response.
