Influencer marries woman in real life after convincing her it was 'prank'

A social media influencer deceptively married a woman in Australia, telling her that it was a prank for Instagram and even organised a wedding ceremony for it. He wanted to exploit the marriage to acquire permanent residency in the country.

The woman was shocked to later discover that she had actually married the man.

She met her partner on a a dating app in September 2023.

He was a social media influencer, and within four months of dating, he convinced her to participate in a fake wedding ceremony in Sydney, claiming it would be a "prank" for his Instagram account.

When the woman arrived at the venue, she was shocked to find no guests or fans at the wedding ceremony. The man told her that he had orchestrated the entire event as a 'wedding prank' to boost his Instagram following.

The woman went through with the ceremony, exchanging vows and kissing in front of a camera. However, two months after the fake wedding, her partner revealed that the wedding was genuine.

The matter came to light when her partner asked her to add him to her permanent residency application.

A Melbourne court annulled the wedding, as the woman did not provide genuine consent to the marriage. The ruling stated that she had been participating in a prank.

Moreover, the woman claimed that she did not sign the notice of intended marriage that had been submitted, and the signature on the notice bore little resemblance to hers.

The man claimed that they both had agreed to these circumstances, but the judge ruled in favor of the woman.

The marriage was annulled in October 2024 following the court order.