On a recent Instagram post, social media influencer and YouTuber Chris Stanley shared a screenshot of what he suggested was an article from NBC News. The headline claimed,
“Gay influencer arrested after filming street interviews inside Florida mall.”
This mock article alleged that police reported Stanley, 24, was engaging strangers with “gay-related questions”inside the mall, persisting in his activities despite multiple requests to leave.
The initial screenshot purportedly displayed two mugshots of Stanley. A subsequent slide in his post read,
“Major Crimes Detective Ennis Mar with Miami County Sheriff’s Office was first alerted to this on March 31.”
According to Stanley’s post, the mall manager had informed the detective of his return to the premises after being asked to leave. Accompanying this slide was a photo depicting Chris Stanley querying passersby about their sexual orientation.
The final slide of his post, timestamped at 11:31 a.m. on April 1, contained a candid note. In it, Stanley explained that he had been filming interviews at the Florida Mall the previous night in search of content. He acknowledged his return to complete more interviews, despite security’s previous warnings. The influencer concluded his reflection with,
“I am sorry to let everyone down like this. In the future I will do better.”
In his caption, he reassured followers that he was “processing everything”but was all right.
Importantly, Stanley was neither arrested for trespassing nor for filming interviews in the mall, and no NBC News report concerning him was ever published. This post was an elaborate April Fool’s joke, likely due to the timing of the reveal on April 1. His followers quickly recognized the prank, responding with amusement and laughter.
Clarifying Misconceptions: No Arrest of Chris Stanley
Analysis of the allegedly fabricated NBC News article revealed that the image had indeed been modified, confirming the prank’s nature.
To further engage with his audience, Chris Stanley also posted a shirtless photo on his Instagram Stories. This post included a link leading to what seemed like adult content, which he used to tease followers about his April Fool’s joke. Accompanying this image was the playful comment,
“dropping a new tape to pay for my bond.”
Another clue hinting at the misleading content was the mention of the detective’s name, Ennis Mar. This character is notably from Ang Lee’s acclaimed 2005 film, Brokeback Mountain, starring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal. Ledger played Ennis Del Mar, a cowboy navigating the complexities of his identity.
In addition to his recent escapade, Chris Stanley has a history of creative content, including a Brokeback Mountain-themed shoot he shared in January. This series featured him alongside fellow content creator and actor Art Bezrukavenko, delivering humorous content as they donned cowboy attire.
Chris Stanley enjoys a robust social media presence, boasting over 360,000 followers on Instagram and 467,000 subscribers on YouTube. His artistic contributions include the award-winning short film Second Thought, which garnered significant acclaim, including a special mention at the One-Reeler Short Film Competition in 2024.
Watch Chris Stanley’s latest content here.
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