In Australia’s Melbourne, one man has been dubbed the “fake seizure dude.” For this, he reportedly pretends to have seizures in busy places, stunning witnesses. This dubious practice has been going on for almost a decade. Yet, it has been the cause of massive outcry from residents and even legal challenges. The person is now in charge of public nuisance and is expected to appear in court later this year.
It’s widely reported that the “fake seizure guy” has been spotted throughout downtown Melbourne. In fact, the unusual activity has prompted users to create a specialized subreddit to post and discuss their close calls and spottings. The phenomenon has sparked a national debate, with thousands taking to social media to voice their outrage at the events. A young man named Noah connected with him. In a recent statement, he described what happened to him.
Noah told us about the time he was hit up by the “fake seizure guy. He said this man cried out for assistance while undergoing an alleged seizure. Noah believed he was doing the right thing by keeping the man on his stomach and sitting on him for 10 to 15 minutes. Take command words, such as “sit on me nicely” or “lean your weight on me.” Reflecting on the incident, Noah commented, “I don’t know if it was a hero complex… I was like: ‘I’m going to help this man.’”
A private citizen, Drew told a very similar tale and the experience has left him so rattled that his faith in humanity is broken. I never again want to be in that position, and we may not always understand, he said. It just left such a bad taste in my mouth. Now he is reluctant to help anyone who appears to be going through a medical emergency in public. He confesses, “I’m not so motivated to rescue someone if they just dropped in the street today.”
Advocacy manager Lisa Todd from Epilepsy Action Australia condemned the “fake seizure guy” for going out of his way to do this. She wanted to stress that during a real seizure it’s absolutely never okay to sit on someone. It’s just plain cruel, and it goes to further erode the credibility of an already beleaguered community living with epilepsy. “Imagine how you would feel if behind your back, somebody was making fun of the health condition that you had,” she asked. Todd raised concerns about the trend on social media sites such as TikTok, where people have been recorded pretending to have seizures.
Todd went on to explain why it matters how all of these actions will affect the public understanding of what a seizure is. Secondly, she highlighted that sharing misinformation contributes to increased stigma. It minimizes the lived experiences of people living with epilepsy and may re-traumatize those who have experienced injury or discrimination as a result of their condition. She noted that if the “fake seizure guy” is indeed faking seizures, “there must be some underlying reason why they’re doing it.”
The incidents involving this individual have led many communities to begin discussing larger issues of public safety and community trust. Business travelers are adopting new habits. It’s not unusual for them to avoid locations where the “fake seizure guy” is notorious for appearing. This dramatic change illustrates just how widespread the damage from his order has been, affecting communities’ ability to communicate with the public and with one another.
