How That Jim Carrey Clone Conspiracy Theory Spiraled Out of Control

Suddenly, Jim Carrey became the new Avril Lavigne.

The actor’s appearance at the César Awards in Paris last week spawned a surge of conspiracy theories that the Dumb and Dumber actor had been replaced by a clone.

The reason for the theories seemed to be the 64-year-old actor’s face looking possibly a bit inflamed in some of the footage online.

“Sorry but there’s a zero percent chance this is actually Jim Carrey,” declared one account with 47,000 followers on X. “I’m not saying it’s a clone or some dumb illuminati shit, but for some reason he’s clearly using a body double to stand in for him.”

Other fringe accounts were very much saying Carrey had been replaced by a clone (Example: “Jim Carrey was cloned and killed by satanists. They can create a clone in 5 months.”)

Adding fuel to the fire was a resurfaced, decades-old clip of Carrey on Late Night With David Letterman where the actor said he uses decoys to fool paparazzi. “I’ve done this a few times now and that is to use a decoy,” the actor said at the time, seemingly serious. “Using a decoy — it sounds so ridiculous but it works like a charm … a Jim Carrey double. I send him off in one direction, he sucks all the press in that direction, and I just have my day.”

Of course, using a decoy to get the press off your back is one thing. Sending somebody else in your place to accept an honorary award at the French equivalent of the Oscars with your family in attendance would be quite another.

Others speculated the actor had simply had recent plastic surgery of some kind. Or that he had deliberately altered his looks as some kind of performance art piece. Needless to say, all variations of the rumor had an undercurrent of mean spiritedness given the whole “you no longer look like you” nature of them.

Then, just when rumors began to really froth, drag artist Alexis Stone posted on Instagram on Sunday suggesting she used prosthetics to make herself look like Carrey and impersonated him at the awards show. She posted a photo of Carrey at the awards with the caption: “Alexis Stone as Jim Carrey in Paris.”

Confirmation? So it wasn’t Carrey after all? At this point, even Megan Fox was thrown, with the actress commenting on the post: “I can’t handle any more stress right now i need to know if this is real.” While Katy Perry commented with a bull’s-eye emoji.

Monday morning, however, César Awards organizers and Carrey’s reps seemingly had quite enough. The general delegate of the César Awards, Gregory Caulier, said in a statement first obtained by Variety, “Jim Carrey’s visit has been planned since this summer” and praised the actor’s preparation for his speech, which he gave entirely in French. Caulier called the rumors a “non-issue,” saying, “I just remember his generosity, his kindness, his benevolence, his elegance.”

A couple of hours later, Carrey’s personal rep — and you can almost hear a weary sigh accompanying this statement — first confirmed to TMZ, “Jim Carrey attended the César Awards, where he accepted his Honorary César Award.”

So there you have it. Yes, that was Jim Carrey and not a clone, body double or impersonator.

The shame of this is that Carrey’s stirring speech received high praise from those in attendance (which included girlfriend Mina, daughter Jane and grandson Jackson). Carrey is not a French speaker and apparently worked long and hard on his delivery. “As an actor, each character you play is like clay in the sculptor’s hands, which you shape to your heart’s desire,” he said in French. “How fortunate I have been to share this art with so many people who have truly opened their hearts to me.”

The clone/double rumors were frequently fueled on X, which has come under fire for misinformation of a far more serious nature since President Trump ordered an attack on Iran late Friday. A Wired story wrote that X was “drowning in disinfo” since the attack began.