Rapper Big Huey went viral with a video alleging his Tesla Cybertruck was remotely turned down and he was trapped on a US highway. He shared it to Instagram and it went viral, raking up over 112,000 likes and a ton of comments. One comment implied missed payments and received 51,000 likes. Big Huey doubled down and shared a purported cease-and-desist letter from Tesla, claiming he couldn’t use the Cybertruck moniker in a new song. But it was all a ruse—a premeditated stunt that fell apart faster than it spread.
Big Huey’s video painted a picture: a man stranded, his futuristic truck useless thanks to a corporate giant. The warning screen with the urgent message to call customer service seemed legit enough to get people outraged. Social media amplified the story, with people on Reddit and X talking about Tesla’s alleged heavy handedness. But cracks started to appear almost immediately. Tesla responded on X and Instagram and said they don’t disable vehicles remotely. Their response was clear and to the point: the video was fake.
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Digging deeper, the hoax started to fall apart. The cease-and-desist letter Big Huey posted had the signature of Dinna Eskin, listed as Tesla’s Senior Director and Deputy General Counsel. Problem is, Eskin hasn’t been that for a while—she’s now Vice President of Legal. The outdated title was a red flag, meaning the letter was fake. And then a Redditor showed how the ominous warning screen could be replicated by plugging a laptop into the Cybertruck’s system and typing a custom message. No remote deactivation, no corporate conspiracy—just some tech knowledge and showmanship.
Big Huey’s motivation seems to be tied to his music. The song is named after the Cybertruck and was at the center of his supposed beef with Tesla. By staging the breakdown and sharing the fake letter he got a ton of attention, traffic to his Instagram and visibility for his song. The stunt worked, at least in terms of numbers—112,000 likes don’t come cheap. But it also backfired, exposing his scheme to a skeptical audience. Tesla’s prompt response, combined with the Redditor’s screenshot, meant that the fake was quickly exposed.
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