Watch out of the get together favors at this scorching new wedding ceremony venue. On a cool Monday in Lexington, Kentucky natives Alexandra and Armando stated their vows beneath the watchful eyes (and doubtless dilated pupils) of the “cocaine bear,” who officiated the marriage in his residence on the Kentucky for Kentucky Enjoyable Mall. Pictures of the ceremony revealed by TMZ, which broke the completely happy information, depict the couple standing in entrance of their ursine officiant—who wore a prime hat for the event.
The actual-life cocaine bear was discovered lifeless in 1985, and in line with the Kentucky for Kentucky Enjoyable Mall, he wound up within the museum after exchanging palms and crossing state traces just a few occasions. Forward of the marriage, Enjoyable Mall co-owner Griffin VanMeter touted the bear’s officiant credentials to TMZ: “So long as you are feeling that the particular person marrying you—like Cocaine Bear—has the authority, then that marriage could be binding right here in Kentucky,” he stated.
Oddly sufficient, it was additionally VanMeter who confirmed to the Wall Avenue Journal in February that the “cocaine bear” on the Kentucky for Kentucky Enjoyable Mall—the one followers honor with selfies and by buying all method of memorabilia, from T-shirts to snow globes—will not be the precise cocaine bear.
Louisville’s native NBC station, WAVE Information, first known as the bear’s authenticity into query in December. The outlet spoke with a health worker who stated there was by no means a full carcass to protect and who refuted the museum’s declare, cited by TMZ, that the bear was discovered with a abdomen stuffed with cocaine.
“We had bones and somewhat little bit of conceal,” the health worker advised WAVE. “We had bones and used them to provide us an thought of the peak and weight the bear would have been.” WAVE additional reported that the real-life bear was feminine, whereas the taxidermied bear on show in Lexington—nicknamed “Pablo Escobear”—is described as male.
In February, the Journal revealed a follow-up report that said Enjoyable Mall homeowners initially responded to requests for remark by repeating the story listed on their web site. In a later interview, nevertheless, the Journal reviews that VanMeter stated that he and co-owner Whit Hiler inherited the bear in 2015 and grafted the real-life lore onto it.
In the meantime Damion Stene, a spokesman for the Cocaine Bear film, advised the Journal that “Cocaine Bear is impressed by a real story of a bear that ingested cocaine, however the movie has no connection to what might or might not have occurred to the bear after its loss of life.”
No matter its authenticity, the cocaine bear has seen a model explosion in latest months—charting a story from taxidermied theme park attraction, to biopic topic, to, now… novelty wedding ceremony officiant? Sources near the cocaine bear have remained tight-lipped as as to if or not this might turn out to be a everlasting second act. If there’s a taxidermied “meth gator” someplace within the swamps of Florida, nevertheless, we’re guessing she and her agent are taking notes.
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