Woman faked an entire job interview to ask an athlete out — he does not know if he should marry her or get a restraining order
By the time she revealed her true intention, Noah had revealed his private information to her, including his phone number
It is one thing to fall in love with a celebrity, and it is another to follow them to the point of extreme obsession. In what seemed like a mix of hilarious and horrifying incidents, an American football player, Noah Pilato (@noahpilato5), shared how an obsessed fan tricked him into joining a Zoom meeting under the guise of a job opportunity. In a May 29, 2026, Instagram video that has been viewed 2.8 million times, he shared how a girl went so far as to pose as a recruiter only to propose dating him.
A surprising LinkedIn offer
"I just had a girl shoot, maybe the most insane shot that’s ever been shot at me in my entire life, and I don’t know whether to be amazed by it and appreciate the lengths that she went to or just be absolutely horrified by it,” Pilato confessed, saying that the incident happened five minutes before he recorded this video. Sharing the backstory, the athlete said he recently created a LinkedIn account for the first time at 29.
The other day, he received a message from a woman who introduced herself as part of a company. She said her company is interested in connecting with ex-athletes and that they should get on a call to discuss the opportunity. Given that Pilato was already going through a tough transitional period post his retirement, and his resume didn’t have much to show, the message seemed to offer a new possibility. The girl sent him a questionnaire that asked basic details like his name, email, and a Zoom call invite.
Recruitment pitch with a twist
As planned, Pilato joined the call, and the girl asked him a few more questions about his school, his life as a professional athlete, his residence, and other basic things. Being naive about job applications and the recruitment process, he kept answering all her questions. In the end, she dropped a bombshell: “Noah, I have to tell you the truth. This whole thing is completely made up.” The girl revealed that she just wanted his attention, and this was the only way she could think of to get it.
The girl explained that she follows Pilato on social media and knew he was single. So, she planned it all to talk to him and propose dating. "To be fair, she is a cute girl, but I am like, 'so, what do you expect me to even say right now?'" he said. In response, the girl said that since she now has Pilato's number, they might hang out soon. Confused and blown away by the incident, Pilato asked, "Do I need to marry her or get a restraining order?"
When fandom turns toxic
Sending unwanted messages, stalking, or exhibiting obsessive behaviors can often threaten a celebrity. In fact, it happens more than we think. According to a German study, 79% of celebrities reported being stalked at some point in their lives. These fans usually pursue celebrities to seek intimacy and close relationships that will make them feel special. Another study cited by Mercer University (by Carolyn Adams-Price & A. L. Greene) revealed that 25% of the fans had a fantastical desire to be a celebrity’s romantic partner.
'A red flag'
Meanwhile, people had mixed reactions to Pilato’s video. While some people were curious to see part 2 of the story, others cautioned him to run away from the girl. For instance, @rachelizabethm commented, “It’s actually so deceptive, so it’s a red flag for me. If she had been upfront from the beginning of the call, it would be a different story, but she waited till she had all your information! You, run!” @squirrellysheik said, “To all the girls saying give her a chance. Absolutely not. The double standard if the genders were reversed, you’d be calling him all kinds of names and saying Press charges.”
You can follow Noah Pilato (@noahpilato5) on Instagram to catch up with his latest videos.
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