We bet you have never heard a story like this one! When journalist Guy Benson wrote on his Twitter “pull up a chair, and buckle up for a wild, bizarre, hilarious story,” nobody was expecting to read such a twisted story. Strangely enough, the journalist was exactly at the center of this story. The funniest thing is that it ended with a great wedding. And to think it all started with a huge lie!
Get ready to learn about the most peculiar thing that happened to not only Guy but also to two strangers that he got to befriend in the end. Let’s start from the beginning and you’ll get it…
Who Is Guy Benson?
Guy Benson is a journalist and political commentator, so that meant he was also very active on social media.
His Twitter inbox was filled with messages from viewers, so when he got a new message, thought nothing of it. But things were a lot different than he thought!
A Strange Message on Twitter
As soon as Guy opened the new message, he realized that this was a very strange story. Reading the message, Benson couldn’t believe that he was part of that story.
“I’m not typically inclined to entertain such requests from strangers,” Benson wrote in his Opinion piece where he detailed the whole story. “But the backstory was irresistible,” he added.
It Started 10 Years Ago
The story started in 2010, when a girl called Alyson met Dylan. She was working at a retreat and she became friends with Dylan.
Over time, they started meeting each other’s families and attending family events. But they were just friends. Their families and friends hoped this friendship would evolve in time…
Looking Back At Their Friendship
Later in a radio interview, Alyson recalled some details from their platonic friendship: “Dylan and I have always been friends, and he wasn’t making a move.”
“I liked Dylan, and everybody knew I liked Dylan. Dylan knew I liked Dylan,” said Alyson. However, time passed and her crush wasn’t making a move. So that’s when her cousin came up with this crazy plan.
No Way!
Although Alyson was frustrated about Dylan not giving her a sign, she knew she couldn’t do much about it. She was left with venting those frustration at her cousins.
That’s when her cousin Michael decided to step. He concocted this crazy plan that was risky, but might work. “I was dead against this,” Alyson recalled. “I told Michael I was not going along with this, we are not going to do this.”
Michael’s Plan
The master plan was as followed: Alyson and Michael would create a fake profile of a man and claim that he was her boyfriend.
Michael explained that they would tell some people so that word about her new boyfriend would reach Dylan. He would then get jealous and make his move. What if it worked?
“I’m Crazy”
“Dylan was my best friend,” said Alyson. “He would think I’m crazy if he knew I went along with this.”
She thought about Michael’s idea, but was it worth the embarrassment? Weeks later, Alyson agreed to the idea of making a fake profile.
Creating Ryan Stevens
“We were just so bored,” Alyson recalled the day when she and Michael were watching their cousin Daniel’s graduation. They once again pondered over the crazy idea of the fake profile.
“I just went along with it and we just kind of ran with it,” Alyson said. So they looked for a profile photo. Their Google search was “generic white man.” Little did they know this was the beginning of a unique story!
The Backstory
“The best result in their estimation, the most basic white guy, was a photograph of a grinning man wearing a gingham button-down shirt and a blue blazer,” explained Guy in an opinion piece for La Times.
After finding this photo on Google, Michael and Alyson thought of a few details about how she met her boyfriend.
How They Met
They met at college, and he was a few years older than her. His name was Ryan Stevens. It was time for the news about her boyfriend to be spread to her family.
“We came up with the whole story and it spread around to my family,” Alyson recalled. Maybe the news of Alyson’s boyfriend would affect Dylan.
Nobody Else Knew About It
The only people that knew the truth were Alyson and Michael. They waited for the news to reach Dylan, and soon it did…
Alyson cousin Mark was one day hanging out with Dylan, and that’s when he slipped the news. Mark was telling Dylan how was everyone doing. Here’s what Dylan said on a radio interview…
His Relationship With Alyson
“So when I was talking to Mark at the gym, I didn’t really know much,” agreed Dylan in a radio interview, adding that “I knew my friendship with Alyson inevitably would end in either one way.”
“She was going to find someone and we weren’t going to be able to be this close of friends forever, or we were going to end up together,” he said. So how did he react to the news that day?
Fading Out
At first, Dylan was thinking that his chance just flew by him. I was like, ‘OK, well, maybe Alyson’s time has come and [our friendship] was going to fade out.'” But then, he changed his mind!
“I saw the picture [of Ryan Stevens] and all Hell broke lose,” Dylan recalled. So he started thinking about Alyson…
“I Made My Move”
Dylan thought that his feelings for Alyson were strong and he’s been looking at the love of his life for all those years without making his move. Now Alyson was no longer single…
She wouldn’t get away, thought Dylan. “I made my move,” he said in the interview. “I couldn’t control myself anymore.”
Would Alyson Accept Him Now?
Dylan had no idea that Alyson didn’t actually have a boyfriend. He just hoped she would choose him over the guy she started dating…
“The weekend where it did occur to me like ‘yeah, I do have strong feelings for Alyson,’ I didn’t even ask her out, I just kissed her,” said Dylan. But this was only the beginning of their love story!
The Awkward Moment
Michael was right - his plan made Dylan jealous and it all worked out in the end. But the awkward moment of truth came one day, when the two lovebirds started talking about past relationships…
Alyson had to tell Dylan the truth, and right before saying Ryan didn’t exist, Dylan could see Alyson’s face contort a little. Here’s how it all happened…
The Moment of Truth
“I brought up like yeah, I don’t really know what it was or how many times you saw him, but Mark mentioned you were seeing someone in the spring,” said Dylan.
Dylan and Alyson had never talked about Ryan, and the two were already in a stable relationship. She couldn’t lie to him anymore “We had to face that really interesting conversation,” Dylan recalled.
His Reaction
When Alyson told him the news, he wasn’t upset. Actually, he laughed out loud and agreed that Michael’s plan worked after all. This crazy catfishing story led them to one July day in 2019.
That’s when Dylan got down on one knee in front of the church’s altar to propose to his girlfriend. The Ryan Stevens story was now a thing of the past. Or so they thought!
The 2020 Pandemic and Weddings
Planning a wedding is a stressful task, but planning a wedding during the pandemic is a nightmare for those that want to have it all. Alyson and Dylan decided that their wedding planning should be fun.
They turned to YouTube and made a mock newscast about how they’ve been planning the wedding during the pandemic and the video went viral. Miles away, Guy Benson had no idea that he was part of this story!
Michael Strikes Again
When Michael turned on the TV to watch the news, his jaw instantly dropped. He was left speechless as he was looking at a very familiar face on Fox News.
Guess who was presenting the news? It was none other than “Ryan Stevens”! That was impossible, he thought as he did a Google Search…
It Was None Other Than Guy Benson
Michael couldn’t believe his eyes when he discovered that his “generic white male” was actually a political journalist and news commentator. His name was Guy Benson.
Scrolling through the images, he saw that photo he had used for the fake profile. This was too good to be true, so Michael decided to contact Guy on social media.
Sending a Very Strange DM
Michael had to contact Guy Benson and tell him the whole story. Benson has a radio show, so Michael thought this story would surely go viral once it was shared from the journalist’s perspective.
And that’s how Guy’s story titled “How I unknowingly became part of a catfishing scheme that ended in ‘I do’” got the attention of the whole world. Michael also asked him a favor…
A Last Favor
Without wanting to annoy the journalist - since Michael had already “introduced” Guy into his cousin’s love life, he took the opportunity to ask for a favor.
Michael told Benson about the incoming wedding in the summer of 2020. He asked the journalist if he could record a short clip to congratulate the newlyweds. But instead, he got a lot more than he asked for!
The Family Gasped When They Saw Him!
Benson was so fascinated by the story he was part of that he agreed to do the video. Michael received the video and he knew the family would be shocked to see it!
Michael invited the family to watch the video, which started with Benson reading a book that covered his face. As soon as he slowly lowered the book, everyone gasped…
It Was Hysterical
Of course, neither Alyson nor Dylan knew what to expect when they saw the video. But Benson went further and told the story on Twitter.
Thousands of likes and comments were sent, but this was not how the story ended! A few days later, Benson wrote on Twitter: “Attention, Twitter: please strap in for an update…”
One More Chapter
When Alyson saw the video, she didn’t realize who that man was. Then, when she heard him say “I’m Ryan Stevens”, she jumped up. It really was the “generic white male” they found on Google!
Michael showed Alyson his profile and she knew what to do next. The story just got bigger! Alyson reached out to “Ryan” to continue with the prank.
Revenge Time
“She had good-natured revenge in mind, wanting to pay Michael back,” Benson wrote on Twitter. What was that prank?
“She invited me to the wedding as a surprise guest. I made 100 percent sure that the bride actually wanted this before trying to make it work,” explained the journalist. Let’s see what happened during the wedding day.
It Was A Difficult Task
Benson had to fly to Boston to attend the wedding. “There were a few logistical obstacles to overcome in order to fulfill my various work duties, explained Benson.
He also tried to “make this happen in a safe way, and to maintain the element of surprise.” That day, he also had to appear on TV, so he asked the technicians to change the backdrop into anything else than the Boston skyline.
Ready for The Big Day
The bride and groom were ready for their big day, but only Alyson knew that her “ex-boyfriend Ryan” was just down the street, getting ready for his big entrance.
Michael had no idea Benson was going to show up! “On the wedding day, I was already in Boston when Michael messaged me a photo of the groomsman gift.”
The Infamous “Ryan Stevens”
There it was, the groomsman gift was a mug with the picture of Ryan Stevens, the exact image Michael had used to catfish his friend.
“I played it off as if I’d forgotten the wedding was happening that day. I thanked him for the reminder to wish the couple well on my show,” Benson explained. Soon enough, everyone would be speechless!
Hiding In a Room
Benson arrived at the venue and had to hide in a room. When the couple and the families gathered for the photos, it was time for him to show up.
“When the big moment arrived…a bridesmaid brought me down to the lake where the photos were being taken,” Benson recalled.
The Reveal
“They had assembled the whole group that had been present for the ‘Ryan Stevens’ video reveal,” added Benson. Little did they know that right behind their back, Benson was approaching.
Alyson looked around as everyone was ready to pose, looked confused and then said “wait, we’re missing someone!” Everyone looked around to see who wasn’t accounted for.
There He Is!
Benson turns around the corner and walks towards them! Michael’s jaw just dropped. What were the odds Alyson would think of such a prank?
“I was, in fact, wearing the exact same shirt from the 9-year-old headshot that triggered the series of events leading to [that] day,” said. But the night was just beginning, and so did the surprises!
The Family Was In Shock
Benson revealed on Twitter how shocked the families were to see the “fake” boyfriend approaching! Since he was the one bringing Alyson and Dylan together, it was only fit for Benson to be in their wedding photos.
“The wedding was lovely. Everyone was so welcoming and kind,” wrote Benson, who attended the wedding. He was also part of the matron’s speech and got a very special card at his table.
An Incredible Prank
We have to agree that Alyson and Benson were very good at pranking everyone. His place card was referring to a Mr. Ryan Stevens, Benson’s amusement.
“Dylan was a great sport about everything,” Benson recalled, adding that: “I even got a shout-out in the matron of honor’s speech (I pretended to wipe away tears and jokingly shook my fist at Dylan).”
One Last Request
And since the story got so viral, Benson decided to get Alyson and Dylan on his podcast and radio show, where they talked about it. He also had a request from the newlyweds.
Benson had one request now: the first child to be named Guy or Ryan. The journalist was thankful to be part of such an “epic and unforgettable” story. “And so it came to pass that I found myself weeping at the wedding of two strangers,” concluded Benson.