Brian Laundrie Look-Alike Creates TikTok to Prove He Is Not the Fugitive, Goes Viral

A Brian Laundrie look-alike has taken to TikTok to prove that he’s not the missing fugitive wanted for “activities following the death of Gabrielle Petito.” Now, the doppelgänger has gone viral.

The man under the username @notbrianlaundrie shared his first video on Tuesday, September 28, creating a “duet” with another user who filmed the man at a concert, captioning the video “Brian laundry [sic] sighting.”

“I would just like to put all these rumors to bed,” the unidentified man said. 

The man, who has a similar beard and hairline as Laundrie, 23, shared another video asking viewers how to not look like the missing man as he traveled cross-country for his cousin’s wedding. 

“If you have any tips for me on how not to get attacked or accused of being this guy, get at me,” he said. He later posted an update where he wore a large face mask, reflective sunglasses and a bucket hat while on an airplane.

So far, he has racked up millions of views and over 50,000 followers. 

The real Brian Laundrie is currently being sought by the FBI after a federal warrant has been issued for his arrest by the U.S. District Court of Wyoming on Thursday, September 23. 

The arrest warrant, which was released by the FBI along with a news release, was issued for the alleged violation of the “Fraud and related activity in connection with access devices” statute of the U.S. Code, specifically for “whoever knowingly and with intent to defraud produces, uses, or traffics in one or more counterfeit access devices.”

These devices include “any card, plate, code, account number or other means of account access that can be used, alone or in conjunction with another access device, to obtain money, goods, services, or any other thing of value, or that can be used to initiate a transfer of funds (other than a transfer originated solely by paper instrument),” according to the United States v. Jenkins-Watts.

The warrant was issued after the disappearance of his fiancée Gabby Petito. 

Laundrie and Petito embarked on a cross-country trip in a white 2012 Ford Transit van in July, as they stopped in national parks and documented their “van life” on social media. However, on September 1, Laundrie returned to his parent’s home in North Port, Florida — where he and Petito lived — without the 22-year-old. On September 11, Petito’s parents reported the Long Island native missing. 

Laundrie was last seen on September 14; the following day, the North Port Police Department confirmed Laundrie was a person of interest in Petito’s disappearance. Laundrie’s parents reported him missing on September 17. 

The search for Petito came to a tragic end on September 19 when human remains were found in the Spread Creek dispersed camping area in Wyoming, one of the last places she was seen alive. The remains were confirmed to be Petito on September 21; the manner of death was determined to be a homicide.

On Tuesday, Petito’s family held their first press conference since Petito’s death. The family’s lawyer addressed the late vlogger’s fiancé directly.

“Brian, we’re asking you to turn yourself in to the FBI,” Richard Benson Stafford said.