The pooch is safe. It turns out an internet celebrity staged their dog’s kidnapping, coming clean on social media.
Videos by Suggest
Indeed, French content creator Cyril Schreiner has admitted to faking the kidnapping of his pug, Albert. In social media posts on Feb. 10, Schreiner admitted that he had “messed up badly.”
In a confession post on Feb. 10, Schreiner admitted that about a month prior, he had rented a house and faked surveillance footage to stage Albert’s “kidnapping.” This came just days after a Feb. 5 Instagram post where he appeared teary-eyed, celebrating being “reunited” with his allegedly stolen pug.
The original video, Schreiner explained, was “obviously comedic.” The internet celebrity clarified that he didn’t directly exploit his dog. In fact, the dog wasn’t even part of the production, as a sack of potatoes stood in for the role. “I wanted to create entertainment,” he said.
After all, nothing says comedy to dog lovers like an adorable pet being kidnapped.
Internet Celebrity Apologizes Following Fake Dog Kidnapping Caper: ‘I Acted Stupidly’
“There are things you shouldn’t joke about,” Schreiner confessed later, per The Sun. “I acted stupidly, and I apologize publicly. Whether you accept my apology or not, I never meant to disrespect people who have actually lost pets. I can’t imagine how horrible that must be.”
The content creator, known for a decade of comedic videos (many starring Albert), admitted the past year had been “really difficult,” adding he’d tried to keep his private life “separate from his life online.”
“In recent years, what I was doing on social media pleased me less and less,” he told his over 1.5 million Instagram followers. “I was enjoying it less. I was making videos almost automatically.”
Meanwhile, Schreiner shut down any rumors that the stunt was a ploy for fame or fortune. In fact, it was quite the opposite. “I actually lost partnerships, credibility, and a lot of money in this situation,” he claimed.
“Creating all of this cost me a lot of money and brought in almost nothing,” he added. “Social media doesn’t pay like it used to. I just want to apologize again to anyone I hurt. My only goal has always been to share joy and positivity.”