Stephen: TikToker fakes own death to “teach family a lesson”

Photo: Susan Buck/Pixabay

A TikTok user in Belgium decided he would teach his family a lesson about the importance of staying in touch with each other by faking his own death. The Daily Beast writes that David Baerten, 45, reportedly roped his wife and kids into the ruse, with one of his daughters posting online about her heartbreak at her father’s “passing.” As his wider family came together at his funeral to pay their respects, Baerten made a dramatic arrival in a helicopter along with a camera crew and set about comforting his distraught loved ones.

@el.tiktokeur2 Tu nous as eu on t aime mon ami on est content que tu es parmis nous ❤️❤️#pourtoii #fyp #fypシ @Ragnar_le_fou ♬ son original – Thomas faut

“What I see in my family often hurts me,” Baerten said in defense of his unhinged actions. “I never get invited to anything. Nobody sees me. We all grew apart. I felt unappreciated. That’s why I wanted to give them a life lesson, and show them that you shouldn’t wait until someone is dead to meet up with them.” He also said that “only half” of his family bothered to turn up for his funeral.