What the actual F? Troy Ave and celebrity chef Geoff Cole were reportedly caught staging a fake robbery and shootout in a now-viral video. What initially appeared to be a dramatic moment of self-defense has now sparked questions about authenticity, motives, and clout-chasing.
Full stop. If this is real and accurate, then the term anything for clout has risen to new levels.
On Tuesday, July 15, Cole posted a video to his socials showing Troy Ave confronting an alleged armed assailant outside Cole’s San Diego home. At first glance, the 39-year-old rapper was hailed as a hero for stepping in to protect his friend. However, sources have since told TMZ that the entire scene was staged.
Get this, according to reports, the so-called attacker was not a real threat and no actual shots were fired. Law enforcement confirmed to TMZ that they received no reports of a shooting or attempted robbery in the area, raising doubts about the video’s authenticity.
The incident left fans scratching their heads over why the two would fake such a dangerous scenario. Some speculate the goal was to draw attention to a song playing in the background of Cole’s car during the clip. But with all eyes on the supposed altercation, few seem to remember the music at all.
Cole’s original caption on the Gram added to the illusion. “Came home after celebrating the success of a sold out Chef Fest with love and support from all over the West Coast! And a hater from the same city tried 2 take it all away!” he wrote. “This the 2nd time but it WON’T be a 3rd! s/o 2 my BROTHER Ave for holding it down in a situation where most woulda RAN or FOLDED.”
Can’t believe anything these days.