The infamous Balloon Boy is all grown up.
In 2009, when he was 6-years-old, Falcon Heene’s parents contrived an elaborate, globe-captivating hoax, all as part of a failed bid for reality show stardom.
They lied to authorities, telling them their child was trapped on a silver homemade helium-filled weather balloon hovering some 7,000 feet above Colorado.
News cameras carried the balloon’s agonizing two-hour flight live. Americans feared Falcon wouldn’t survive the mishap, not knowing he was nowhere near the UFO-shaped balloon made by his meteorologist father, Richard.
The National Guard was called in to rescue the child, setting taxpayers back $40,000. Falcon was sent to stay in the attic of the family’s Fort Collins home during the balloon’s flight.
Today, the “Balloon Boy” is gaining fans on Instagram, where he shares footage of himself building multi-bedroom tiny houses.
With long hair and a moustache, Heene is hardly recognizable today.
Falcon owns and operates Craftsman Tiny Homes in Archer, Florida. His tiny homes sell for between $25,000 to $79,000.
Four years after the hoax, Falcon and his brothers started a metal band called the Heene Boyz.
The band’s first release single was titled “Balloon Boy, No Hoax.”
Falcon was later interviewed on CNN, and unwittingly gave his parents up, telling Wolf Blitzer “we did this for the show.”
Police eventually arrested Richard and Mayumi Heene, who’d unsuccessfully pitched a science-based reality show after two appearances on “Wife Swap.”
They both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit a crime, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, filing a false report with authorities, and attempting to influence a public servant.
He was sentenced to 90 days in jail, while she received a 20-day sentence.
