Glen Powell’s disturbing story about his sister’s friend almost getting eaten by a cannibal has gone viral online – but is it true?
The Anyone But You actor, 35, recently appeared on Jake Shane’s Therapuss Podcast, where he shared the revolting tale.
The anecdote – about a man using ‘black market lotion that breaks down skin for human consumption’ on his date – understandably shocked the host.
The actor said: ‘You want to hear a crazy story? My little sister was friends with a girl who went on a date with a guy. They’re hanging out, and he’s super charming.
‘They have a great night, and she goes back to his apartment that night and he’s like, “Hey, can I give you a massage?” As she got back to his apartment, she started getting weird vibes. Something feels off.’
He continued as the host of the podcast listens with wide eyes: ‘He starts massaging her shoulders […] Everything just feels odd. She’s like, “I gotta get out of here.” He gets a little weird “like, no, please don’t leave, sorry,” she leaves.
‘Her skin starts itching like crazy the next day. She goes to the doctor […] It turns out it’s a black market lotion that breaks down skin for human consumption,’ the Hit Man actor said, causing Shane to gasp in horror.
‘This man was rubbing lotion on her body to eat her. The doctor is like “You have to give me this person’s address and you should call the police.” They go to this guy’s house, and he had several bodies in the house,’ Powell says in conclusion.
Fans have expressed their horror, fascination, and skepticism online as the clip continues to circulate.
X user @watley wrote: ‘Excuse me—WHAT, NOW!?’ while @Aku_700 agreed, writing: ‘my god i could not have expected the way that story ended like what do you mean there’s a lotion that breaks down bodies for human consumption.’
@ThnkVNext wrote: ‘I’m so glad she trusted her instincts OMFG, this is terrifying.’
But other fans were far more skeptical about the validity of the story, with many claiming they’ve heard it before and that its actually an old urban legend.
User @azalben wrote ‘I regret to inform you all the Glen Powell cannibal date story isn’t true, it’s an urban legend he heard. Sorry.’
Thankfully, the doubters ended up being correct, with a fact check on Snopes revealing that Powell’s story is a variation of an urban legend that has existed for a long time.
The original story is even more twisted than Powell’s version, with the biggest change being that the date isn’t a cannibal, but a necrophiliac who causes a rash in his victim by infecting her with a parasite only found in human corpses.
Even if the Snopes article didn’t thoroughly debunk Powell’s story, it only takes a little critical thinking to realise that the idea of a lotion that prepares human skin for consumption is, admittedly, pretty nonsensical.
While it remains unclear whether Powell was aware that he was telling an urban legend or if he really believed it, we can all rest easy knowing there’s almost certainly no truth to the story.