Timothée Chalamet crashed his own look-alike contest after camouflaging among all the other 'Chalamets'

What was intended to be a special event to honor Timothée Chalamet quickly turned into chaos and high-pitched drama near Washington Square Park last week. The American-French actor surprised his fans by appearing at his own look-alike contest. While the doppelgangers of the Academy Award nominee were posing to win the competition, he sneaked into the crowd. According to internet personality Anthony Po, who organized the event in Lower Manhattan, his fans initially had no idea.

Pictures and videos from the Chalamet look-alike contest were widely shared on social media. Additionally, Po took to X (@anthpo) to share glimpses of the event. "I was behind the Timothée Chalamet look-alike competition. Thanks to my #1 fan (Timothée) for showing up," wrote the YouTube star, along with footage captured during the event. The video showed two of the "Wonka" actor’s doppelgangers with stunned expressions on their faces as their idol wrapped his arms around their shoulders.

They appeared happy, surrounded by fans who pulled out their phones to capture pictures of the young star. The eight-second footage shows Chalamet embracing his fans in appreciation of the love shown to him. He was dressed in casual attire, sporting a mustache. Notably, flyers advertising a $50 prize for the winner had been distributed throughout New York in the days leading up to the event by the contest organizers. This sparked speculation on social media and garnered thousands of responses to an online invitation.

Meanwhile, Po posted again on the microblogging platform, saying, "Three months ago, I came up with the idea for the Timothée Chalamet Lookalike Competition. Today, I was hit with a $500 fine. Life is beautiful." According to multiple news reports, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) later arrested four people from the crowd after things got out of control.

Additionally, one of the contestants was handcuffed and escorted out of the poorly organized event, as reported by The Associated Press. The NYPD issued a $500 fine to the organizers for holding an 'unpermitted costume contest.' 'It started off as a silly joke, and now it’s turned into pandemonium,' the news agency quoted Paige Nguyen, Po's producer. All of this unfolded on a red carpet as aspiring Chalamets began to walk. Following the law enforcement’s intervention, the remaining half of the contest reportedly took place at another venue.

Po’s post managed to draw massive attention on social media, including 7.2 million views and thousands of comments. Among the reactions, @whotfisjovana complimented the YouTube creator by writing: “At the very least, you have created a day that will go down in history and be forever remembered in New York.” Adding to it, @GRobs_Boston remarked, “I think, on principle, Chalamet should pay your fine.” “It's worth it, to be honest, because, at a cost of $500, everyone had fun, and Timothée Chalamet himself even attended. The attendees should simply contribute to cover the expenses,” @iamnaaomixx suggested. The NYPD later told Newsweek via email that, "On Sunday, October 27, 2024, at approximately 1320 hours, police responded to an unscheduled demonstration at Washington Square Park, within the confines of the 6 Precinct. Four individuals were taken into custody and subsequently released with a summons." Their charges are yet to be decided.