Chef Geoff Cole, a rising star within the culinary world, set off a firestorm on-line final month after posting a video that appeared to indicate rapper Troy Ave keeping off a would-be attacker. The dramatic footage, shared to Cole’s social media, confirmed the pair stepping out of a automobile late at night time as a lone determine emerged from the shadows.

Cole praised Troy Ave for what he described as a life-saving intervention. According to the chef, the rapper responded to the risk by pulling a gun and firing a number of photographs on the approaching particular person. The video was adopted by a prolonged caption wherein Cole linked the encounter to his current success. “I came home after celebrating the success of a sold-out Chef Fest with love & support from all over the West Coast! And a hater from the SAME CITY tried to take it all away! This is the second time but it WON’T be a third! Shoutout to my BROTHER Ave for holding it down in a situation where most would have RUN or FOLDED 💪🏽‼️.”

Resilience or ruse? Doubts cloud the chef’s story

Doubling down on his message, Cole positioned himself as a public determine dedicated to uplifting others regardless of native hostility. “I’ll never let the hate stop me from showing LOVE! I’m going to keep giving artists OPPORTUNITIES & PLATFORMS, and I’m taking this SHOW ON THE ROAD‼️,” he wrote, drawing help from followers and fellow creatives alike.

But inside days, the story started to disintegrate. TMZ reported that sources near each Cole and Troy Ave had confirmed the incident by no means occurred. An announcement from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office mentioned there was no proof of a theft or capturing, and the case had been deemed “not substantiated.”

As questions mounted, Troy Ave distanced himself from Cole’s model of occasions, claiming he had no information of the chef’s public statements. Still, insiders aware of the scenario prompt the 2 might have collaborated on the stunt, leaving followers questioning the motives behind the viral second—and its fallout.