Truth about Kim Kardashian Aussie hoax: ‘Joke that backfired’

The Aussie cafe manager who sparked a media frenzy with his fake Kim Kardashian sighting has revealed what really happened.

The Cairns cafe owner who sparked a media frenzy after falsely claiming Kim Kardashian had joined boyfriend Pete Davidson in northern Queensland this week has now claimed it was simply a “joke that backfired”.

Matt Black, who runs Botanica Cafe Bar Kitchen in Edge Hill, told Tropic Now that it all began when he posted on the publication’s Facebook page and claimed the couple had had breakfast at his establishment.

“I’m a larrikin, I just do these things,” he said.

“People who know me know I stir stuff up on social media. I thought people were going to call me out. Next thing, the Cairns Post is trying to get a story, the whole day the phone did not stop ringing – the LA Times, journalists from New York, everyone trying to get this scoop about them being in this little cafe in Edge Hill.

“It got to the point where I thought I’d have to answer the phone and give someone something. The next call was ABC Radio and I said I’d give them the scoop. Sure enough, it just exploded even more.”

Stream more entertainment news live & on demand with Flash. 25+ news channels in 1 place. New to Flash? Try 1 month free. Offer ends 31 October, 2022 >

Davidson and Kardashian on holidays recently.

The cafe’s Instagram page posted this on Friday.

During that ABC interview on Friday, Black claimed that Kardashian, 41, and Davidson, 28, had unexpectedly turned up to dine at his venue.

“They sent their security detail in, and they had a little look at the menu, then asked if we had room for a couple of private guests, who are hoping to take over the inside,” he told the national broadcaster.

“Sure enough, in walked bloody Kimmy K and Pete Davidson.”

Black claimed at the time that his barista was unaware of who the celebrity couple were but described them as “super cool and respectful”.

“We had to put our phones out on the counter,” he said.

However, after the story was picked up by media outlets all over the country – including news.com.au – it emerged the whole thing was a hoax.

Sadly, Kim Kardashian is nowhere near Australia currently.

While Davidson is indeed in Queensland to film the upcoming comedy Wizards!, his very famous girlfriend has not joined him on the work trip.

When the truth came to light about the Kardashian report, it appears not everyone found the situation funny.

“At the end of the day it was a little joke and I was going to set the record straight,” Black told Tropic Now.

“I didn’t realise it was going to blow up that big. I’m in a bit of a pickle that’s for sure but I’ve had a lot of support, other small businesses saying dude if this is real or not, it’s genius marketing.

“But I need to take it seriously because we are a new cafe, we have the most talented chefs and we’ve worked really hard. I’ve got cherished staff members who I need to make sure are still OK. I treat everyone who comes into that cafe as royalty.

“I just now need to hope that people see it for what it is … It was a little Matt Black joke.”

Real on-the-ground sightings of Davidson have seen the former SNL star visiting a Timezone games arcade in Cairns, where – according to the Cairns Post – he “mingled with other patrons who took their chance to pose up with the comedian, but was mostly left alone by staff members”.

Meanwhile, Kardashian appears to be at home in Los Angeles for the time being.