Latest news with #BrendanReilly
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Scottish Sun
‘There's no one in the bean!' City forced to deny man is trapped inside iconic landmark after hoax protests go viral
The conspirators claim you can see a faint outline of the trapped man at certain times A HUMAN BEAN 'There's no one in the bean!' City forced to deny man is trapped inside iconic landmark after hoax protests go viral Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A CITY official has declared that there is no man trapped inside the Chicago Bean - despite a viral online hoax claiming otherwise. The fictitious rumour claims there is a human being trapped inside the Cloud Gate sculpture - which has sparked a movement of protesters rallying his alleged capture. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 Protest have amassed in front of a Chicago landmark Credit: Instagram 7 An online conspiracy claims there is a man hidden inside the Chicago Bean Credit: Alamy 7 The viral movement has caused people to gather next to the landmark Credit: Instagram 7 Followers of the theory claim its architect stole a baby and trapped it inside Credit: Instagram Brendan Reilly, a Chicago alderman, said the conspiracy about the city's sculpture had left his office flooded with calls from alarmed citizens. Earlier this month, a small group of protesters started gathering at the iconic stainless steel artwork. Demonstrators were heard chanting: 'There is a man in the Bean' and 'What do we want? The man to get out.' Enthusiastic demonstrators even handed out leaflets claiming the man's existence was a cover-up - kept secret from locals for more than two decades. READ MORE US NEWS CLOSE ENCOUNTER Area 51 at risk as huge fire creeps closer to base sparking UFO theories They waved banners calling for officials to "unlock Cloud Gate" so that they could recover the trapped individual. Unbelievable footage showed the movement congregate in front of the landmark, holding up pieces of cardboard with messages like: "GET HIM OUT NOW!" The conspiracy, which also has an Instagram page dedicated to it, claims that bystanders can see a faint outline of the trapped man when the angle of the sun is "just right". The social media account uploaded a poster which says: WE CANNOT COMMUNICATE WITH THE MAN INSIDE THE BEAN. "However, when the sun hits the Bean just right, YOU CAN SEE A FAINT OUTLINE OF THE MAN." The poster ends with a prompt to citizens that they should contact Reilly's office - with his name spelled incorrectly - to demand that he take "immediate action" to free the man. Watch Netfix's documentary Trainwreck Storm Area 51 where nurds take on the government's top secret Alien base Local city councillor Reilly said the rumours were becoming a distraction from his work. The official said: 'I am happy to confirm that a man has not been trapped inside Cloud Gate (aka 'the Bean') for the past 21 years." He continued: 'I appreciate light-hearted parody as much as the next guy, and I've always welcomed public engagement. 'However, this online hoax has led to a heavy uptick in calls to my office. 'Unfortunately, answering the heavy volume of calls regarding this hoax is ultimately a distraction for my office from the real work we do for the 42nd Ward and City of Chicago each day." 7 The sculpture was created by Brit Artist Anish Kapoor Credit: Getty 7 Protesters seen travelling on public transport headed to the Bean Credit: Instagram The silver sculpture was created in the mid-2000s by Indian-born Brit artist Anish Kapoor. The aforementioned poster which calls for the councillor to release the imprisoned man claims that he was put in there when he was a baby after Kapoor kidnapped him. The poster reads: "When construction began on the Bean in 2004, Anish Kapoor, the artist and chief architect behind The Bean (Cloud Gate) STOLE A BABY and put that baby inside of The Bean. "THE MAN has been held captive there ever since - LIVING IN COMPLETE ISOLATION." Baffled social media users flooded the comments section with questions. One said: "How does he eat?" While another joked: "Is he okay with bean in there?" 7 A city councillor had to assure the public there was no man trapped inside the Bean Credit: Getty
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Councillor forced to deny bizarre speculation that man is TRAPPED inside huge sculpture
Brendan Reilly, a Chicago alderman, said the rumour about the Cloud Gate sculpture, which locals calls The Bean, has diverted his office from the work of managing his district A US councillor has been forced to reassure his residents there is not a man trapped inside one of the area's landmark sculptures. Alderman Brendan Reilly said his office has been swamped with calls from concerned locals after a nonsensical rumour about the Chicago Bean emerged online. The bizarre gossip even triggered a small protest outside the stainless steel artwork, with demonstrators shouting, "there is a man in the Bean", and "what do we want? The man to get out." In the leaflets they handed out, they told others that Chicago officials had been covering up the existence of the man for more than 20 years. They claimed that when "the light hits just right" you can see a "faint outline of a man" inside the opaque structure. The hoax first emerged on Instagram on July 31 when the account shared a video of protesters calling on the artist to intervene. They were heard saying: "We're loud, we're mean, there's a man in the Bean! We'll scream, we'll shout—Anish Kapoor, let him out!'. The account quickly racked up 35,000 followers. The sculpture was designed in the mid-2000s by Indian-born British artist Anish Kapoor. Mr Reilly said his office has been forced to divert attention to the rumours, which has prevented him with getting on with the proper work of running his word. 'I am happy to confirm that a man has not been trapped inside Cloud Gate (aka 'the Bean') for the past 21 years,' he said. Mr Reilly continued: 'I appreciate light-hearted parody as much as the next guy, and I've always welcomed public engagement. 'However, this online hoax has led to a heavy uptick in calls to my office. Unfortunately, answering the heavy volume of calls regarding this hoax is ultimately a distraction for my office from the real work we do for the 42nd Ward and City of Chicago each day.' The Man in Bean Coalition is advising residents to put pressure on Mr Reilly to take action to free the man. They included his office phone number on at least one of their leaflets. In statements to local outlets, the group claimed its position was being misrepresented by "Big Bean Media. 'Our cohort of believers theorise that Kapoor built the Bean to be a one-way mirror. "So that when we look at the Bean, we see our reflection… But the man inside the Bean looks out to see us all,' the group said.
The Sun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
‘There's no one in the bean!' City forced to deny man is trapped inside iconic landmark after hoax protests go viral
A CITY official has declared that there is no man trapped inside the Chicago Bean - despite a viral online hoax claiming otherwise. The fictitious rumour claims there is a human being trapped inside the Cloud Gate sculpture - which has sparked a movement of protesters rallying his alleged capture. 7 7 7 7 Brendan Reilly, a Chicago alderman, said the conspiracy about the city's sculpture had left his office flooded with calls from alarmed citizens. Earlier this month, a small group of protesters started gathering at the iconic stainless steel artwork. Demonstrators were heard chanting: 'There is a man in the Bean' and 'What do we want? The man to get out.' Enthusiastic demonstrators even handed out leaflets claiming the man's existence was a cover-up - kept secret from locals for more than two decades. They waved banners calling for officials to "unlock Cloud Gate" so that they could recover the trapped individual. Unbelievable footage showed the movement congregate in front of the landmark, holding up pieces of cardboard with messages like: "GET HIM OUT NOW!" The conspiracy, which also has an Instagram page dedicated to it, claims that bystanders can see a faint outline of the trapped man when the angle of the sun is "just right". The social media account uploaded a poster which says: WE CANNOT COMMUNICATE WITH THE MAN INSIDE THE BEAN. "However, when the sun hits the Bean just right, YOU CAN SEE A FAINT OUTLINE OF THE MAN." The poster ends with a prompt to citizens that they should contact Reilly's office - with his name spelled incorrectly - to demand that he take "immediate action" to free the man. Watch Netfix's documentary Trainwreck Storm Area 51 where nurds take on the government's top secret Alien base Local city councillor Reilly said the rumours were becoming a distraction from his work. The official said: 'I am happy to confirm that a man has not been trapped inside Cloud Gate (aka 'the Bean') for the past 21 years." He continued: 'I appreciate light-hearted parody as much as the next guy, and I've always welcomed public engagement. 'However, this online hoax has led to a heavy uptick in calls to my office. 'Unfortunately, answering the heavy volume of calls regarding this hoax is ultimately a distraction for my office from the real work we do for the 42nd Ward and City of Chicago each day." 7 The silver sculpture was created in the mid-2000s by Indian-born Brit artist Anish Kapoor. The aforementioned poster which calls for the councillor to release the imprisoned man claims that he was put in there when he was a baby after Kapoor kidnapped him. The poster reads: "When construction began on the Bean in 2004, Anish Kapoor, the artist and chief architect behind The Bean (Cloud Gate) STOLE A BABY and put that baby inside of The Bean. "THE MAN has been held captive there ever since - LIVING IN COMPLETE ISOLATION." Baffled social media users flooded the comments section with questions. While another joked: "Is he okay with bean in there?" 7
Telegraph
7 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
No one is trapped inside Chicago Bean, councillor insists
A city councillor has confirmed there is not a man trapped inside the 'Chicago Bean'. Brendan Reilly, a Chicago alderman, said the rumour about the city's sculpture meant his office had been inundated with calls from concerned citizens. Earlier this month, a small group of protesters gathered at the stainless steel artwork, chanting: 'There is a man in the Bean' and 'What do we want? The man to get out.' They handed out leaflets claiming the man's existence had been kept secret from Chicago residents for more than two decades, and brandished signs calling for officials to 'unlock Cloud Gate', as the art installation is formally known. When asked by local news why they believed a man was trapped in the Bean, a member of the group claimed they could see a 'faint outline of a man' when 'the light hits just right and you're looking from the perfect angle'. An Instagram account dedicated to pushing the hoax had gained some 35,000 followers as of Wednesday. Mr Reilly, whose ward is home to the Bean – created in the mid-2000s by the Indian-born British artist Anish Kapoor – said the rumours had become a distraction from his work as a councillor. 'I am happy to confirm that a man has not been trapped inside Cloud Gate (aka 'the Bean') for the past 21 years,' he said. Mr Reilly continued: 'I appreciate light-hearted parody as much as the next guy, and I've always welcomed public engagement. 'However, this online hoax has led to a heavy uptick in calls to my office. 'Unfortunately, answering the heavy volume of calls regarding this hoax is ultimately a distraction for my office from the real work we do for the 42nd Ward and City of Chicago each day.' At least one leaflet by The Man in Bean Coalition, which is pushing the rumour, urges people to call Mr Reilly to demand he immediately take action to free the man, and includes his office's phone number. The group, which has been approached for comment by The Telegraph, claimed in statements to media outlets that its position was being misrepresented by 'Big Bean Media'. The group claims that Mr Kapoor 'stole a baby and put that baby inside of The Bean' when he created it, according to its literature. 'Our cohort of believers theorise that Kapoor built the Bean to be a one-way mirror. So that when we look at the Bean, we see our reflection… But the man inside the Bean looks out to see us all,' the group said. Mr Kapoor has been approached for comment via his studio.
Time Out
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Inside the 'Man in Bean' hoax: Chicago's latest viral urban legend
Have you ever found yourself wandering around Millennium Park, gazing into the reflective splendor of ' The Bean ' and wondered, 'Is there a man hopelessly trapped in there?' Probably not—unless you're a card-carrying member of the ' Man In Bean Coalition,' a viral (and possibly performance art) stunt that's been making waves online and beyond. While thousands descended on Grant Park for Lollapalooza last week, a small group of 'protesters' spent the weekend picketing at the foot of Cloud Gate (that's 'The Bean's' government name). Dressed in all-black and waving signs scrawled with slogans like 'UNLOCK CLOUDGATE' and 'YOU WOULDN'T PUT A BABY INSIDE A BEAN,' they quickly caught the attention of Millennium Park security—and Chicago at large. The group also handed out flyers urging bystanders to contact Alderman Brendan Reilly's office, whose ward includes Millennium Park. Alderman Reilly's office was inundated with so many calls that he was compelled to share a public statement, calling the Man In Bean Coalition an 'online hoax.' 'I am happy to confirm that a man has not been trapped inside Cloud Gate (a.k.a 'the Bean') for the past 21 years. In fact, the man was freed years ago,' the statement reads. 'Further, we can neither confirm nor deny that Soldier Field is actually a flying saucer secretly relocated from Area 51 back in 2003.' The Man In Bean Coalition's sole social media account, an Instagram page dubbed @ManInBean, has amassed over 27,000 followers in just over a week. In a video that has received thousands of views, a protester explains the group's cause: 'We're calling for his immediate release. In 2004, Anish Kapoor, the chief architect and designer of 'The Bean' put him in there. He stole a baby and put that baby in 'The Bean.' Free him! Let him out!" Built between 2004 and 2006, Cloud Gate is one of the largest permanent outdoor art installations in the world. Designed by British sculptor Anish Kapoor, it's made up of 168 stainless steel plates seamlessly welded into a concave, bean-shaped chamber. Its mirrored surface warps and reflects the surrounding skyline, making it one of Chicago's most iconic and photographed landmarks. Despite the ongoing protests, there is no evidence to support the presence of a man in the Bean. When reached for comment by Time Out Chicago, the Man In Bean Coalition offered the following statement: 'THERE IS a man trapped inside of the Chicago Bean. This is fact. We are not performative, we are not satirical and we are not a meme. There is nothing funny about a man being held in captivity in a giant metal structure like Cloud Gate. Perhaps, if your media outlet would take our cause more seriously, we would be willing to provide more answers to your questions. But, at this time, we have nothing more to say to Big Bean Media.'
