Ballon Boy - The Heene Family

We explore the bizarre 2009 "Balloon Boy" hoax, where parents Richard and Mayumi Heene staged a national panic by claiming their six-year-old son, Falcon, was trapped in a runaway homemade flying saucer. This episode details the chaotic search, the moment Falcon was found, the on-air slip that exposed the stunt as a desperate bid for a reality show, and the felony charges and restitution that followed. We also cover the controversial 2020 pardon and hear from Falcon today, who still grapples with the fallout of the infamous media circus.