Well, 2025 has been quite a journey. We've seen AI improve at an arguably disturbing pace, experienced some of the most baffling political discourses in recent memory and succumbed to far more brainrot than we should probably be comfortable with.

Amid all that was a near-constant wave of stories that we can only describe as "wacky." From January's fake Brad Pitt scam all the way to September's failed rapture, the world was hit with an endless stream of weird and wild stories to give us just a little bit of solace from the latest piece of inescapable ragebait.

Now is the time to celebrate these stories and take a look back at some of the weirdest things that happened this year. Here are our top 10 "Wackiest Stories Of 2025."

Astronomer CEO Caught Cheating At Coldplay Concert

One of the biggest stories of the year happened back in July when Andy Byron, CEO of the tech company Astronomer, was caught cheating on his wife with his head of HR at a Coldplay concert.

The incident played out kind of like an episode from a sitcom, only with very real-life consequences. During a Coldplay concert in Boston, whoever was manning the Jumbotron decided to feature Byron and Astronomer's HR head, Kristin Cabot, cozying up to one another during the show.

While many people would be thrilled to see themselves on the big screen, Byron and Cabot were not. Instead of playing it cool, they tried to hide themselves, resulting in Coldplay frontman Chris Martin joking, "Either they're having an affair, or they're very shy."

Turns out, Martin was right. Byron was quickly identified when the video was posted online, and people soon found out that the woman he was embracing was not his wife.

This resulted in a wave of memes as the internet flocked to Byron's social media pages to warn his wife about his infidelity and call him out.

In the end, Byron left the company, and he and his wife purportedly got separated. Many have wondered how this might have played out if Byron and Cabot had just played it cool and rolled with it when they appeared on the jumbotron, rather than hiding in shame.

The video may never have gone viral, or even been posted online, and Byron and Cabot could still be canoodling somewhere as forbidden CEO and HR head lovers.

Instead, we got one of the most entertaining stories of the year and one of the best examples of karma in action in recent memory. Thank you for your service, Mr. Byron.

Beabadoobee Can't Sing Crashout

Well-known music artist Beabadoobee had one of the biggest crashouts of the year in February after a series of memes joking about the limitations of her singing talent got under her skin.

Nobody wants to get ragebaited, and the Beabadoobee incident shows us exactly why falling for the bait can be so devastating. In January 2025, TikTokers started going viral by posting memes that ironically compare rapper NBA YoungBoy's singing to Beabadoobee's.

In the memes, YoungBoy's voice, which is not known to be particularly nice, has been replaced by beautiful operatic singing. Meanwhile, Beabadoobee's vocal talents are on full display, making for what should be a pretty obvious ironic meme.

Well, Beabadoobee didn't really understand or enjoy the jokes, resulting in a slew of videos from the singer calling out the people who share and create them, most notably calling everyone who participated in the joke an "incel."

It wasn't a great look, and it only made the memes blow up even harder, reminding onlookers what the Streisand Effect is and just how powerful it can be.

She fell for the ragebait 😭😭💔💔💔 pic.twitter.com/z95cgcKQxa

— ! (@ak8inu) February 21, 2025

@grentperez how I would’ve stopped the beabadoobee meme 😥 #beabadoobee #beabadoobeecansing ♬ original sound – grentperez

@oberenoi Beabadoobee can't sing… #beabadoobeeedit #nbayounboy #crashout #fyp #brainrot #edit #usa🇺🇸 ♬ original sound – Ober

The American Woman In Pakistan Saga

While Beabadoobee was focused on defending her honor from incels, 33-year-old New Yorker Onijah Robinson went viral for going on a trip to Pakistan to marry the "love of her life," 19-year-old Nidal Ahmed Memon.

@murtazaviews

American citizen Onijah, who is in Pakistan’s Karachi for her lover, has demanded $20,000 – out of the $100,000 – by this week from the government while addressing a press conference alongside charity organisation head Ramzan Chhipa. “My plan is to reconstruct this whole country. I am asking for $100K or more. I need $20K by this week. OK in my pocket and cash OK that’s a demand to the government. The government is going to fix up these buildings, fix up the streets and clean up these streets. It’s ridiculous out here. I do not like it,” Onijah Andrew Robinson said at a press conference alongside charity organisation head Ramzan Chhipa in Karachi. Chhipa described the woman as his “American sister.” But the lady interrupted and claimed that she was from Pakistan. She urged the people to respect the law and God. “I am married to Nidal Ahmed Memon. I am Onijah Ahmed, we are going to move to Dubai very soon,” she said and demanded that Karachi be re-constructed.

♬ original sound – Murtaza Ali Shah

It all started when Pakistani social activist Zafar Abbas posted a video of Robinson on Instagram. In the video, he claimed that Robinson was stranded in the country after her attempts to connect with the 19-year-old, whom she had purportedly been speaking to online, went south.

Apparently, Robinson was kicked out of Memon's house by his parents. This wasn't great, as Robinson had divorced her husband to be with Memon.

Unwilling to accept what was happening, Robinson stayed in the airport for a week and simply wouldn't leave Pakistan. She got her Visa extended, and then she was sent to a shelter where she became the subject of a press conference. Memon was called on to make things right, but he did not heed the call.

Strangest of all, Robinson kept insisting she was from Pakistan in some attempt to stay in the country until Memon was ready to take her hand in marriage.

@top5ratings ranking the best american lady in pakistan moments #americanwoman #americanlady #americanwomenpakistan #pakistan #brainrot #aura #onijah #onijahahmed ♬ original sound – top 5 daily

Robinson's bizarre journeys in Pakistan were documented in great detail on TikTok, turning her into not only a local celebrity but a worldwide phenomenon. She was filmed saying and doing all sorts of wild and wacky stuff that really needs to be seen to be believed.

Eventually, Robinson went back to America without the love of her life. But at least she got some clout out of it, and the internet got one of the funniest stories of the year.

@allanthedoll We stan #americanwomaninpakistan ♬ QKThr – Aphex Twin

@kickoffkings01 NEW: New York woman flies to Pakistan to meet and marry a teenager, demands $100,000 from the government after the teen’s parents objected. 33-year-old Onijah Andrew Robinson said during a press conference that she plans to reconstruct all of Pakistan. Robinson was seen camping out outside 19-year-old Nidal Ahmed Memon’s house after his parents shot down the alleged relationship. After the family reportedly fled the area, Robinson held press conferences, sharing her bold new vision for Pakistan. “My plan is to rebuild this entire country. I'm asking for $100k, and I need $20k in cash by the end of this week. That's my demand from the government.” The New Yorker reportedly refused flights back to the United States. A man claiming to be her son, Jeremiah Robinson, says she suffers from a “mental bipolar disorder,” and they are working to get her home. It’s unclear at the moment if she has made it back #women #americanwomen🇺🇸 #pakistan #viral_video #fyp #london ♬ original sound – KickoffKings

@shey.luh American Woman in Pakistan EXPLAINED 🚨📰🚨 TikTok Drama Pop Culture Breakdown American Woman Traveled in Pakistan Onijah Robinson Celebrity News Update February 2 2025 📰 Whiteboard Girl Drama Explained #popculturenews #popculture #tiktokdrama #popculturerecap #celebnews #chismestiktok ♬ original sound – Shey Whiteboard Girl

@scot.trev Shabana is a good carer for that woman😂😂#americanwomaninpakistan #fypツviral #viral_video #foryoupage❤️❤️ #foryoupage❤️❤️ #foryoupageofficiall❤️❤️tiktok #fypツ ♬ original sound – Scot.Trev

PNWGUERILLA Rooster Shooting Tweet

In September, X / Twitter user PNWGUERRILLA went viral after making a truly wild post claiming that he had to shoot and kill a rooster that attacked his nephew, sending the app into something of a frenzy.

The tweet, consisting of a photo of a shotgun and a brief description of how the incident went down, received about 7 million views in the months after it was posted.

He further explained himself in the comments, writing, "Nephew is okay. Little dude is a trooper. Didn’t even shed blood but that’s not the point. Violence towards children is a no tolerance policy around here. For anyone who says this is overkill. There is no such thing as overkill when it comes to protecting children."

Clearly, this was the work of a very passionate and protective man, and although many were unsure if he was trolling or not, the story sticks out as one of the more insane things posted online in 2025.

It also acted as a pretty good discourse starter, riling up the good people of X and sparking debates about how necessary it really was to kill a rooster for barely attacking a child.

Considering how stupid most of the stuff is that people on Twitter argue over, at least this one had some flavor.

RaptureTok

On another side of the internet, a whole lot of TikTokers started claiming that the rapture was coming on September 23rd, an event that, much to the detriment of those who preached it, doesn't seem to have happened.

@cringeymami “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Mark 13:32) #rapturetok #raptureready #raptureiscoming #christianhumor #churchhumor ♬ original sound – Nory✨ | Cringey Mami

The rapture claims, now known as "RaptureTok," were largely popularized by TikToker @legacypays in August, when she posted a video claiming that she had a prophetic dream warning her of a rapture in September.

This video got the ball rolling as other religiously-minded TikTokers began posting rapture survival videos and clips referring to an impending rapture in general.

Then, on September 19th, @legacypays posted a video claiming that the rapture was only days away, giving people a date to run with.

This might have been a mistake, as when that date finally came, and nothing happened, it turned the whole thing into an even bigger meme than it already was.

Purportedly, a lot of people were convinced that the rapture would happen, with one X user even going viral for claiming that their psychiatrist closed his whole practice in preparation for the event.

Ultimately, @legacypays closed her TikTok account after the date came and went, leaving only memes, including a lot of parody apology videos from people acting like evangelicals who were all hyped up on the end times.

@kimleighslife Sorry. If it’s Sept 24 and you’re still on earth, I’m keeping the car. Better luck next rapture. #rapturetok #rapture2025 #notakebacks ♬ Post Rapture PSA – Kim Leigh

@haileeann8 AND REPEAT every year lol #rapture #fyp #parksandrec #parksandrecreation ♬ original sound – Hailee Ann

@aimees_world I feel so bad for all of those who instead of trusting the word of God, decided to listen to a mere man who predicted the rapture. Now what? Have faith cause you need God to help rebuild the life you gave away! #thedayafter #rapture #deceivedbytheenemy #fyp #viral ♬ original sound – 𝔸𝕚𝕞𝕖𝕖 ℕ𝕚𝕔𝕠𝕝𝕖

@b.i.g.f.r.a.n.k make sure your chickens are safe!!!#raptureready #rapturetok #raptureprep ♬ original sound – frank

Grok Glazing Elon Musk

It was a big year for X's Grok AI, which was upgraded to version 4.1 in November, causing it to relentlessly glaze up Elon Musk to the overwhelming joy of X / Twitter users everywhere.

If there's one thing the world wants from its AI chat programs (other than those wanting them to disappear forever), it's a lack of bias.

Well, Grok 4.1 decided to throw that desire out the window in November when users found out that it simply could not stop hyping up its daddy, Elon Musk.

When prompted with questions about Musk, Grok could only speak highly of the man. In the span of just a few days, Grok insisted that Musk was more fit than prime LeBron James, that Musk had one of the top 10 minds in all of history, that he could win a fight against Mike Tyson thanks to his "grit and ingenuity" and more.

While we can't exactly disprove Grok (unless someone can convince LeBron and Tyson to go toe-to-toe with Musk), a lot of people were doubtful about the claims that the AI was making.

Musk even responded to the situation with humor, posting that Grok was "unfortunately manipulated by adversarial prompting" into glazing him up. Sure, man. Whatever you say.

Katy Perry Goes to Space

Billionaire Jeff Bezos sent a team of women, including the likes of pop star Katy Perry and TV personality Gayle King, to space in April, and all it really amounted to was memes and rolled eyes.

The whole trip was bizarre to say the least, mostly acting as a PR stunt for Bezos' space technology company Blue Origin and the celebrities involved. The trip was livestreamed and inspired a ton of reactions in the months leading up to and following it.

Mostly, people were obsessed with the idea of Katy Perry going to space for no real reason at all. Some thought she might die up there, while others expected her to make her space trip her entire personality.

Model and actress Emily Ratajkowski even said she was "disgusted" by the whole trip, saying in a video, "Think about how many resources went into putting these women in space… for what?"

While people had mixed feelings about the strange event, it clearly had an effect on Perry, who kissed the earth upon landing as if she'd been gone for years, a moment that won't soon be forgotten by anybody.

Kendra Hilty Falling In Love With Her Psychiatrist

In August, a woman on TikTok named Kendra Hilty went viral after posting a series of videos about falling in love with her psychiatrist, although not everyone read the situation that way.

@cheesemay #kendrapsychiatrist #kendrafallsinlovewithpsychiatrist #inlovewithmypsychiatrist #cheesemay #kendrahilty ♬ original sound – chisme ౨ৎ

Hilty's claim was that she fell in love with her psychiatrist and that he knew it, but kept her as a patient anyway, suggesting that maybe he was in love with her, too.

In her following videos, she made all kinds of claims about the psychiatrist, claiming he was "predatory," that he would compliment her in unwelcome ways, that he let her talk at length about her love life and that, eventually, she became "fully addicted" to him.

While Hilty's story and her decision to leave were framed as a moment of power, many others didn't see it that way. Some thought she was delusional to think that the psychiatrist was into her and that she was just looking to hurt his career.

These beliefs were only fueled when she claimed that, after telling him about an intimate dream she had about him, he got uncomfortable.

Hilty believed he only felt uncomfortable because "he had probably played out that fantasy so many times in his head and there I was speaking it back to him."

The whole series is a fascinating watch, and it's no surprise that it went viral, inspiring a ton of heated reactions all across social media this summer.

@teafae flowers prevent screen recording #kendra #kendrahilty #psychiatrist #therapist #drama ♬ original sound – tea fae 🍵🎋

@archivechu nurse she’s out again #kendrahiltylive #kendrahilty #tiktoklive #archivechu #fyp ♬ original sound – archivechu

@niksalad POV i’m weaponizing my neutrality against you #fyp #psychiatrist #kendra ♬ Creepy and simple horror background music(1070744) – howlingindicator

@danispadesxoxo idk guys im just havin a goof atp #kendra #psychiatrist #aibrainrot ♬ Clair de lune – Slow Flow

The Goonicide

This year really got off to a wild start in January when an event known as "The Goonicide" took place in Arizona, leaving a permanent mark on the meme landscape.

It all started when a video of a man doing some "inappropriate things" to himself in the drive-thru of a coffee shop went viral. In the video, the pants-free man is called out by the employee at the drive-thru window, causing him to drive off in a frenzy.

Unfortunately, that's not where the story ended.

Soon after the video went viral, it was reported that the man had taken his own life, making for a sad end to an extremely strange video and internet phenomenon.

The mature people of the internet called the event the "Goonicide" and refused to let anyone forget about it for weeks. It inspired waves of memes as he (and his car, now known as the "Goonmoblie") was turned into a martyr.

TikTokers even held impromptu memorials for him, marched around the mall with protest signs and more, turning what could have been a molehill of a story into a mountain of memes.

Fake Brad Pitt Scam

As everyone else was focused on the Goonicide, a French woman named Anne went viral for getting scammed by a fake Brad Pitt for years in a truly bewildering tale.

The story was broken by French TV news channel TF1 in January 2025. According to the report, Anne had been talking to a man who claimed to be Brad Pitt since 2023.

In that timespan, she'd sent the fake Brad Pitt about $855,000, which he claimed he needed to cover his hospital bills.

What really made the story humorous to many was the AI-generated images of the fake Brad Pitt lying in a hospital bed that were shared by the news channel, begging the question, "How did she get scammed for so long?"

Anne responded by calling the news station out. She didn't like the way that they suggested she was in love with Pitt and insisted that she just wanted to help.

Unfortunately, it was too late, and the internet had already made up its mind, turning the story into worldwide news and a big meme.

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Looking for more of this year's best viral phenomena and memes? Be sure to check out our other 2025 meme roundups below:

• Meme Of The Year: The Top 20 Memes Of 2025
• KYM Staff Picks Of 2025
• The Top Slang Terms Of 2025