A Belgian man reportedly faked his own death and funeral just so that he could teach his extended family a lesson about staying in touch.
David Baerten, 45, known as Ragnar le Fou on TikTok, even recruited his own wife and children for the “prank,” according to the New York Post.
“Rest in peace Daddy. I will never stop thinking about you. Why is life so unfair? Why you? You were going to be a grandfather, and you still had your whole life ahead of you. I love you! We love you! We will never forget you,” one of his daughters reportedly wrote on social media to get the “prank” rolling.
The “prank” eventually culminated in a funeral being held for Baerten, during which he made a grand entrance in a helicopter.
“The fake funeral, which was held near the city of Liege last weekend, was attended by dozens of friends and family members dressed in black, waiting for the ceremony to begin until they were met with a landing helicopter,” the Post notes.
“The ‘dead man,’ alongside a camera crew, hopped out of the chopper as he greeted his mourners with ‘Cheers to you all, welcome to my funeral,'” according to the Post.
Some of the attendees rushed to Baerten to give him a hug, while others stood around confused and potentially annoyed.
See some of this in footage recorded by Thomas Faut, one of Baerten’s close friends:
@el.tiktokeur2 Tu nous a eu je te le jure j etais en pleure moi et apres j ai eu le choc poto on t aime beaucoup ❤️@Ragnar_le_fou @Leclercq Philippe #fyp #pourtoii #fypシ ♬ son original – Thomas faut
As to why he did this, Baerten later offered an explanation.
“What I see in my family often hurts me. 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 reportedly said.
He added that though only half of his family came to the funeral, others have since been reaching out by phone.
“[It] proves who really cares about me. Those who didn’t come, did contact me to meet up. So in a way, I did win,” he said.
See more footage from Baerten’s grand entrance below:
@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
Over on social media meanwhile, the backlash to Baerten’s stunt has been severe, with critics accusing him of being a selfish narcissist and “freak.”
Look:
What a narcissist
— Playingitagain (@AmeliaRocket1) June 13, 2023
Disgustingly selfish
— FlowbeeBryant (@FlowbeeBryant) June 14, 2023
People are actually just doing anything for a few likes on TikTok. Couldn’t have just called for a family meeting?
— Adéọlá Adérè̩mí (@AdeolaNAderemi) June 14, 2023
This was called a “prank” in the article. This is not a prank. This is a dysfunctional freak tormenting his own family and friends for clout and giggles.
— John Hawkins (@johnhawkinsrwn) June 14, 2023
If he’s so self centred no wonder people stopped contacting him. He could also message them himself if he’s lost touch. What a dickhead move. I bet a lot of people are pissed off with him. Imagine buying a whole funeral outfit, etc & the fucker appears.
— Yoga Val (@ValYoga) June 14, 2023
“I never get invited to anything. Nobody sees me. I felt unappreciated,” Baerten said. “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.” bet money he doesn’t invite these ppl to shit either.
— Brain Gretzky (@realMrEagles) June 14, 2023
Incidentally, Baerten’s stunt is reminiscent of a recent Christian Christmas commercial in which a grandfather “fakes his own death to get his kids home for the holiday,” as reported by the Christian Broadcasting Network.
“The commercial for a German supermarket opens with an elderly man watching his neighbors greeting their families. Feeling lonely, the man listens to a voicemail from his family telling him they won’t make it home for Christmas. He then sits down to eat Christmas dinner — all alone. In an effort to get his family all together, the man pretends his death to get his family to come home, and it works,” CBN reported in January.
“The commercial shows the man’s children receiving word of his death. They travel home for the funeral and walk into the house, and to their surprise, it’s all decked out for Christmas. The dad then appears and says, “How else could I have brought you together,” as he greets his family. The clip ends with the whole family seated at the table, enjoying their Christmas dinner.”
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