'Balloon Boy' Throws Up on TV (WATCH IT); 'Show' Comments Fuel Hoax Chatter

By Marc Schneider Posted Oct 16th 2009 10:10AM

With one comment, "Balloon Boy" Falcon Heene unwittingly added to speculation that his disappearance and non-balloon ride were designed by his parents to bring attention to the family, who have gained national notoriety for twice appearing on 'Wife Swap.'

During an interview with CNN on Thursday night, Wolf Blitzer asked the 6-year-old boy why he hadn't responded to shouts of his name when he was apparently hiding in an attic. Falcon's reply? "You guys said, uh, we did this for the show." On Friday, similar questions on 'Today' made Falcon sick ... as he literally threw up on air. Watch After the Jump!

'Did This for the Show'

Sick on 'Today'

His parents Richard Heene and Mayumi Heene appeared to be thrown off by their son's response and grew visibly irritated when pressed by Blitzer later on in the show.

"Let me interrupt you on this, because I see where you are trying to hedge on this," Heene said. "I'm kind of appalled, after all the feelings I went through with this, that you guys are trying to suggest" that it was all a hoax or publicity stunt.

On Friday, the Heenes appeared on NBC's 'Today' show to offer an explanation for Falcon's "show" slip.

"First of all, let's clarify: He's 6," Heene said. "I don't know that he really understood the question he was being asked."

He explained that earlier on Thursday, reporters asked Falcon to show them where he was hiding.

"One of the guys told him it was for some TV show. That's what he was referring to when he made that statement," Heene said.

Later on 'Today,' Falcon fell ill and actually threw up on live television before 'Today' host Meredith Vieira could ask him a question. After a break, Richard Heene returned to Vieira and more questions on whether the whole thing was a stunt.

"I'm starting to get a little ticked off," Heene told Vieira. "I'm repetitively getting asked this. What do I have to gain out of this? I'm not selling anything. I'm not advertising anything. My family and I, we do this all the time."

Falcon vomited a second time during an interview on 'Good Morning America.'

The drama surrounding the Heene family began in Fort Collins on Thursday when a homemade balloon aircraft floated away from a backyard after Falcon was thought to have been seen climbing inside. This set off a frantic scramble by the military and law enforcement agencies. Two hours later, the balloon slowly touched down in a field -- but with no sign of the boy inside.

Authorities feverishly searched for any sign of the child on the ground, including in the neighborhood where he lives. Then, it was announced that Falcon had been hiding in a box above the family garage the whole time.

AOL News has all the ridiculousness here.

Tags: balloon boy, BalloonBoy, falcon heene, FalconHeene, richard heene, RichardHeene, today show, TodayShow, wife swap, WifeSwap

Comments

(29)

Friday 16 October

By Frank

Vote down Vote up Report this

They should force this whole wack-pack family to go up together in this balloon and in order to land begin to throw each other out of the craft until only one is left. This way they can both invent a new reality show and be the first stars on it.

By Sammie

Even before seeing this family I knew they were a bunch of stupid azz white people doing dumb shyt for their 15 minutes fame, typical white people and then the white media do the follow up by giving them the attention they were seeking. If this was a hispanic or black family they would have already doubted the hoax of a story that it was, dumb stupid fools, hope they pay for their ignorance.

By Don

The profit motive comes in from the vomiting, not the balloon ride. The youngster is auditioning for the lead in the a proposed remake of A Clockwork Orange.

By Aurich

Watching this poor little kid- something is desperately wrong with him. The dad keeps admitting that he screams way too much at his kids. The kid was sleeping and then throwing up during an interview. Was he drugged to keep quiet about the publicity stunt? It scared me to watch this on the Today show. The dad wasn't even concerned about his son being sleepy or sick. I don't care how early in the morning it was, most 6 year olds would be wide awake and curious with tv cameras in the home and in his face. Also, what 6 year old stays in a box for 3 hours unless it was for publicity or that the kid was terribly afraid of his parents! Will someone stand up and do something for the children in this family? CPS should be called- even for the fact of the dad's admission!

By Huna

I too knew right away this was a stupid hoax and even if that child was in the balloon then the parents should've been arrested cause that would have been the worst negligence case in the history of America. Ignorant dumb as**holes all, for a mere 15min fame and like someone above me said - typical white people doing dumb shyt; living with beers, bathing and phucking chimpanzees, running after tornados and the list goes on.

By Frank Lapp

So the kid throws up twice....maybe daddy should keep the kid and the family away from all these interviews. The kid's had a bad couple of days...doesn't need more.

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Monday 19 October

By Ki Love

LOL! Amazing. Sadly enough, some of you people are so easily manipulated by what ever the media tells you...

For those who actually DO manage to think for themselves, you realize that no father would publically risk humiliation and admit that they are being a less desired father by yelling at his kids on national TV JUST to get recognized? Please.

A tid bit nutty? Perhaps. Liar? I think not.

Its obvious the kid wasn't referring to his parents when he said, "You guys said it was for T.V." He was referring to the media that told him that.

It must have been a slow day for the news to give this so much attention in the first place.

Get a clue. Kids get lost all of the time and if you've never had one do a disappearing act on you then you would never know how common this actually is.

Hopefully, this dad learns how to communicate with his family more effectively.

Thursday 03 December

By Ann

Charge the parents for whatever, make them pay for the hours the police were looking for the baloon. Don't know much about their parenting, but a social worker visits are definitely appropriate. Imagine how this kid will feel as an adult. I guess he'll tell his friends about his adventure that days, hiding while the baloon sails. And about his parents scam for attention.
Ann

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