Netizens expose Glen Powell’s viral story about a cannibal encounter as fake
I think it’s fair to say that Mr Glen Powell is the man of the moment, having turned heads and captured Gen Z hearts with his phenomenal turns in Scream Queens, Anyone But You, and more recently Hit Man. During a recent appearance on the Therapuss podcast, hosted by popular TikToker Jake Shane, however, the actor didn’t focus on his impressive career but rather he spilt the tea on a disturbing tale of his sister’s friend who allegedly encountered a real-life cannibal.
The Therapuss podcast sees Shane acting as an unlicensed therapist during the episodes, or sessions if you will. The podcast has hosted guests like Ed Sheeran, Ben Platt, Camila Cabello, and Tate McRae.
On 23 May 2024, Powell sat down with Shane and shared a “crazy story” that his sister had once told him.
Around 30 minutes into the episode, Powell reveals that his sister “was friends with a girl who went on a date with a guy,” who then seemingly used “black market lotion” on this girl.
“He starts massaging her shoulders […] Everything just feels odd. She’s like, ‘I gotta get out of here’. He gets a little weird ‘like, no, please don’t leave, sorry’, she leaves,” the actor continued.
Powell carries on: “Her skin starts itching like crazy the next day. She goes to the doctor […] It turns out it’s a black market lotion that breaks down skin for human consumption.” At this point, Shane dramatically gasps for air.
“This man was rubbing lotion on her body to eat her. So the doctor is like ‘you have to give me this person’s address and you should call the police’. They go to this guy’s house, and he had several girls’ bodies in the house.”
“That’s the craziest thing I ever heard,” Shane said and the internet couldn’t agree more.
The story is so unbelievable that people began to question its veracity.
It was quickly discovered that the story might just be an urban legend that can be traced back to 2001, according to findings reported by fact-checking site Snopes.
A story like this has been shared in various forms, sometimes detailing the experience of a woman having sex with a necrophiliac who ends up giving her an infection, “that can [only] happen if she or her partner is having sex with dead people” the fact-checking site notes.
Buzzfeed reporter Matt Stopera even stated that he was told the same story, except that it took place in a hotel room in Las Vegas.
Real or not (probably not), this tale about trusting your instincts highlights the dangers that many women face in the dating economy. Plus, there’s also the small reminder to check for all signs of cannibalism before entering a potential partner’s home.
