- Key takeaway: Photos claiming Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern reunited were AI-generated.
- Origin: A Dubai bakery, Angel Cakes, posted the images on Instagram to promote holiday offerings.
- Evidence: Snopes identified visual inconsistencies (hands, jewelry, younger faces) characteristic of deepfakes.
- No credible outlets or video corroborated the alleged reunion.
What was shared online
Social posts in mid-December showed images purporting to capture Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern sitting together for coffee and dessert. Captions called the meeting a “reunion after 35 years,” and the photos spread across Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Threads and X.
Snopes investigation and conclusion
Snopes reviewed the circulating images and traced their origin to an Instagram post by Angel Cakes, a bakery in Dubai, posted Dec. 15. The fact-check site concluded the photos were not authentic: they were generated with artificial intelligence and released by the bakery as promotional content.
Snopes noted multiple signs of fakery. Culkin’s right hand shows mismatched rings and watch details across images. Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern appear notably younger than current public photos of the actors, inconsistent with their real ages. Other inconsistencies included differing shirts, extra buttons, and a sudden necklace appearing in one image but not others — all common artifacts of image-generation models.
Why journalists and outlets raised doubts
If an actual reunion of three high-profile actors had occurred, entertainment outlets and photographers likely would have reported and published additional corroborating images or video. No reputable news organizations found evidence of an in-person meeting, and no video clips surfaced from the alleged restaurant encounter.
Angel Cakes has used AI-generated imagery before; the bakery previously posted fabricated photos showing F1 racers visiting its storefront. Snopes reached out to Angel Cakes via Instagram to ask which AI tools created the images and said it would update its report if the bakery responded.
Spotting signs of AI in celebrity photos
- Odd hands or extra fingers, inconsistent jewelry or watches.
- Faces that appear younger or smoother than recent verified photos.
- Clothing mismatches across images (buttons, collars, accessories that change).
- Lack of video, eyewitness reports, or coverage by mainstream media.
Embedded post (source)
Instagram (Angel Cakes): https://www.instagram.com/p/DSSB_pviOAF/ — this is the original post Snopes traced the images to.
Context: real Home Alone reunions
Separately, some actors who played the McCallister children staged a small reunion in 2024 that did not include Culkin, Pesci or Stern. That gathering was reported by Entertainment Weekly and is unrelated to the AI-generated images.
Bottom line
The widely shared photos of a supposed Home Alone cast reunion are AI fakes originating from a Dubai bakery’s Instagram post. Verify celebrity reunion claims by checking major entertainment outlets and looking for video or multiple independent photo sources before sharing.
Image Referance: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/home-alone-reunion-photos/
