Anything for clout is a real thing, if you believe the cops take on the Troy Ave situation. What started as a viral moment portraying rapper Troy Ave as a late-night hero is now under serious doubt, with police indicating the entire incident may have been staged.
In case you missed it, last month, celebrity chef Geoff Cole set socials ablaze after posting a video that appeared to show Troy Ave stepping in to protect him from a supposed attacker. The clip, shared on Cole’s page, captured the two exiting a vehicle at night as a shadowy figure approached.
Get this, Cole publicly praised Troy Ave for what he called a life-saving move, claiming the rapper pulled a gun and fired several shots to scare off the threat. In a long caption, Cole tied the encounter to his recent career momentum, writing, “I came home after celebrating the success of a sold-out Chef Fest with love & support from all over the West Coast! And a hater from the SAME CITY tried to take it all away! This is the second time but it WON’T be a third! Shoutout to my BROTHER Ave for holding it down in a situation where most would have RUN or FOLDED .”
Cole doubled down, presenting himself as someone committed to uplifting others despite what he described as local hostility. “I’ll never let the hate stop me from showing LOVE! I’m going to keep giving artists OPPORTUNITIES & PLATFORMS, and I’m taking this SHOW ON THE ROAD,” he added, earning encouragement from supporters and fellow creatives.
But within days, the story unraveled. Our friends at TMZ reported that sources close to both Cole and Troy Ave confirmed the alleged shooting never took place. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office later released a statement saying there was no evidence of a robbery or gunfire and officially labeled the case “not substantiated.”