'Forgive me ya'll:' CeeLo (kinda) explains that weird exploding phone video
UPDATE: Dec. 18, 2016, 1:57 p.m. AEDT So, that was CeeLo, but we still don't have answers.
At around 9:30 p.m. ET, CeeLo showed up on Facebook and broadcast a live video to confirm that the person in the video was indeed him, and that he's fine.
CeeLo's frustratingly vague explanation is that the video is part of something he's shooting for an upcoming project, and it's meant to set up a character's story. He never comes out and says it was fake, but since he has no visible wounds, it appears it was just special effects and bad acting.
The short video message doesn't go into detail about how or why the clip was released, so absent additional explanation, we have to assume this was some kind of elaborate stunt.
It's official: If 2016 wasn't already bad enough, CeeLo is here to troll you just a little harder in the final weeks to add more drama.
Thanks to a certain massive recall by one of the world's biggest smartphone manufacturers, most of us thought the recent danger of exploding phones had passed. But a new video, which some believe features singer CeeLo Green, may begin stoking fresh fears regarding defective smartphones.
SEE ALSO: Samsung is taking a drastic step to permanently end the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco
In a video posted to Instagram on Saturday by music producer and blogger Philly Chase (since removed), a person labeled as CeeLo is shown working at a studio mixing board while talking on his phone when suddenly the device appears to explode in his hand.
Unlike other videos we've seen involving exploding smartphones, this one appears to do real damage to the user, as the victim recoils from the explosion near his face and falls to the floor, apparently unconscious.
Although the person in the video looks a lot like CeeLo, Mashable hasn't yet confirmed the identity of the person. In an interview with Philly Chase, we learned that the video was sent to him anonymously and he's not certain the person in the video is CeeLo. However, the anonymous sender claims it is the singer.
"They said it was in his studio and it was very recent," says Philly Chase. "It might have happened in the last couple of days."
Since the video appeared, a number of fans have pointed out that CeeLo's frequently updated Instagram page hasn't been updated for two days and the artist hasn't stepped forward to confirm or deny the incident. However, CeeLo's Twitter page was updated just yesterday, promoting a new project, so the singer's silence could just be coincidence.
So excited for Sunday's #BecauseOfBethlehem special on @TBN at 8pm EST with @RealJohnGray, @mandisaofficial, @JoelOsteen and MORE. pic.twitter.com/U0dV5zBiFm
— CeeLo Green (@CeeLoGreen) December 17, 2016
Additionally, there has been no confirmation of which device appears in the video, nor when or where the video was recorded.
And while Philly Chase is being credited with exposing the troubling video, he's not happy about what it appears to depict.
"I'm a fan, and I'm praying for CeeLo."
Some skeptics have pointed out that parts of the video look staged, which have raised some concerns that this may be hoax. Nevertheless, Mashable has attempted to contact CeeLo's representatives for confirmation.
