Crime Crime History Glen Powell Learns That His Viral 'Date with a Cannibal' Story Was Fake: 'Questioning My Whole Life Now' After relaying a story about a cannibalistic back rubber, Glen Powell has since declared it a “false alarm” By Jack Smart Jack Smart Jack Smart is the Movies Staff Writer at PEOPLE. With 10 years of experience as an entertainment journalist, he previously worked at The A.V. Club and Backstage. People Editorial Guidelines Published on June 12, 2024 07:31PM EDT Glen Powell on April 17. Photo: Jason Mendez/Getty Glen Powell’s tale about a cannibalistic back rubber is, in his own words, a “false alarm.” After the Hit Man writer-star, 35, told a creepily morbid story involving a friend of his sister Leslie on an alarmingly suspicious date, he has since learned it’s little more than an urban legend. The actor took to the internet to help debunk it. During his viral appearance on Jake Shane’s Therapuss podcast published May 22, Powell relayed that a friend of his sister dated a “super charming guy” only to get “weird vibes” when he offered to massage her back at his place. Twisters Trailer: Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones Chase Tornadoes in Action-Packed Teaser “He starts massaging her shoulders. Everything is feeling odd and she’s like, ‘I gotta get out of here.’ She leaves,” Powell said at the time. “Her skin starts itching like crazy the next day. She goes to the doctor, and he does a test on her skin. It turns out it's a black market lotion that breaks down skin for human consumption." Powell continued, “The doctor’s like, ‘You've got to give me this person's address and you should call the police.’ They go to this guy’s house, and he had several girls’ bodies in the house.” The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! On Monday, June 10, Powell shared on social media that he had since learned, per fact-checking website Snopes, that the tale was too tall to be true. “I’ve been telling this for years,” he wrote of the unfounded story on his X (formerly Twitter) account. “I’m questioning my whole life now…” Assuring fans that dates involving massages don’t always end in attempted murder, the Top Gun: Maverick star added, “Back rubs are back.” Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Glen Powell on April 10. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Glen Powell’s Dog Brisket Once Escaped on a Flight — and Cuddled with All Its Passengers (Exclusive) According to Snopes, the apocryphal tale, known as “Romantic Encounter with a Necrophiliac,” dates back to 2001 and has evolved several times over the years, including in the iteration that reached Powell from his sister and her friend. Following a theatrical release, Hit Man began streaming on Netflix on June 7. Powell is also the producer of the recent documentary The Blue Angels. He leads disaster movie Twisters, which hits theaters July 19.