French Influencer Cyril Schreiner Confesses to Faking the Kidnapping of Albert the Pug

French influencer Cyril Schreiner has confessed to staging the kidnapping of his pug, Albert, just days after being “reunited” with the dog.

In a video shared on Snapchat on Monday, February 9, Schreiner revealed that he had orchestrated a fake kidnapping as a prank. He later posted the same clip on Instagram and TikTok on Tuesday, February 10.

“Today, I’m here to share the truth and tell you everything, as there are many things dear to me,” Schreiner said in the video, which was translated from French. “This past year has been incredibly tough for me.”

The influencer expressed his reluctance to share too much of his personal life online, noting that he had been enjoying creating content “less and less” in recent months.

“I found less joy in everything I did,” he elaborated, explaining that content creators often feel “isolated.” “I wanted to rediscover the joy of the stories I used to share with you, just like back in 2016.”

Schreiner denied suggestions that he staged the stunt for publicity or to boost his views and subscribers, insisting he wasn’t interested in making extra money from his content. He clarified that he directed fans to Snapchat simply because it was his preferred platform.

“My intent was to create entertainment,” he told his followers. “And that’s what I’ve been doing for the past week, but I executed it in the worst possible way.”

He mentioned that he realized “a few days ago” it was time to come clean.

“Let’s be honest, I’m a total jerk,” he admitted. “I messed up. I take full accountability for my actions. I owe you all a public apology. I didn’t expect everyone to be so emotionally invested in this story. … My videos have always aimed to entertain you and spread joy.”

Schreiner claimed he believed the prank would unfold like “a big joke,” but acknowledged that it went “very wrong” in the end.

“It was actually a really terrible joke,” he added. “Ultimately, I’m just glad it made you laugh.”

Commenters quickly expressed that they found the supposed kidnapping of Albert to be anything but funny.

“It’s cruel. I feel betrayed; I was checking multiple times a day to see if Albert was okay, translating every post because I don’t speak French,” one follower wrote on TikTok. “I’m sorry, but this was never funny.”

Jonathan Graziano, an American pet influencer who runs the account @showmenoodz, criticized Schreiner in his own Instagram video.

“The whole Cyril/Albert kidnapping story was fake. It was staged for views,” Graziano stated on Monday. “I’m so mad I could explode.”

Graziano, who has a pug named Milton and previously owned the late Noodle, shared that he “cried” when he heard Albert had supposedly gone missing. “I’m so furious,” he added, visibly emotional. “He did all of that just for views.”

Fellow pug enthusiasts chimed in, with Doug the Pug’s owner Rob Chianelli commenting that the situation left him “speechless.”

The saga surrounding Albert began last month when Schreiner informed his followers that the pug had been kidnapped from his yard. (His other pug, Tina, was not involved.)

Schreiner even posted what he claimed was surveillance footage of Albert being taken from the yard. In his apology video, he admitted that the “dog” in the footage was not Albert but actually a sack of potatoes.

Speculation had been rampant for days suggesting that the “kidnapping” was a hoax, due to inconsistencies in Schreiner’s story, but he maintained his innocence until Monday, even criticizing social media users who accused him of lying.

In the caption of his apology video, Schreiner stated that any earnings from his recent videos would be donated to animal welfare organizations.