What’s the quickest way to find out if people genuinely care about you? Stage your own funeral.
Or at least that’s what Belgium dad David Baerten did as a prank, Baerten pulled out all the stops to fake his own death.
Roping in the help of his wife and children, the 45-year-old TikToker orchestrated every detail.
First, his daughter took to social media to post a tribute to her dad, writing: “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,” “The Times” reported.
The post set the wheels in motion for Baerten’s funeral which was staged in Liege last weekend.
While friends and family waited for his final send-off, they were astonished by the sight of a helicopter landing. Baerten and a camera crew exited the aircraft.
@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
He reportedly greeted the mourners, saying, “Cheers to you all, welcome to my funeral.”
Understandably, people were upset, forcing him to explain the situation.
“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,” he 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.”
Did the prank work?
Well, Baerten said, estranged friends and family did reach out to him, proving “who really cares about me”.