Overview
- Franco began posting cryptic TikToks on June 3 and by June 15 posted videos saying he saw “something NOT HUMAN” with glowing eyes in his garage and later captioned a clip “It’s an ALIEN!!!!”, promising to show followers what he found.
- He repeatedly told viewers the footage was not AI or a promotion and attempted to prove authenticity by writing his TikTok handle on paper and saying “I’m real.”
- The series has gone viral, with individual posts drawing millions of views and widespread reposting and discussion across TikTok, Reddit and tabloid and entertainment outlets.
- Many users and commentators suspect the posts are a promotional stunt or a bid to relaunch his career, a claim Franco has denied, while others have expressed genuine concern for his wellbeing after he warned followers to watch if “anything happens” to him.
- The episode is unfolding against Franco’s prior public controversies and growing public wariness of deepfakes, which has sharpened debate about authenticity, potential harm to his reputation, and the wider spread of unverified viral claims online.