- Viral photos claiming a “Home Alone” cast reunion with Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern are fake.
- The images were posted by Dubai bakery Angel Cakes and generated with artificial intelligence.
- No credible news outlets or videos confirmed an in-person reunion; experts found visual inconsistencies in the images.
Photos of Home Alone cast reunion traced to AI marketing post
Images shared widely on social media in December 2025 showed Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern sitting together for coffee and dessert. The photos were presented as a nostalgic “Home Alone” cast reunion — but they were not authentic.
Where the images came from
The pictures originated from an Instagram post by Angel Cakes, a bakery in Dubai, which published the images on Dec. 15 to promote holiday items. The bakery’s post contained several AI-generated scenes of the three actors together. The images were then copied and reshared across Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Threads and X, where users called the meetup a 35-year reunion.
Original post: Angel Cakes Instagram
Why fact-checkers say the photos are fake
Fact-checkers identified multiple signs the images were created with artificial intelligence. These included inconsistent details on clothing and jewelry, mismatched buttons, unrealistic hands and rings, and unusually youthful appearances for Joe Pesci (82) and Daniel Stern (68). Five of the six images showed the trio seated while a single photo showed them standing, with additional mismatched accessories — all red flags for image synthesis.
Additionally, no reputable entertainment outlets or eyewitness videos corroborated a real-life meeting of the three stars. An actual reunion of well-known actors would almost certainly have generated broader media coverage and more than a few informal smartphone videos — which were absent.
Context and previous posts
Angel Cakes has previously used AI-generated images in promotional posts, including images of F1 drivers visiting the bakery. Independent verification did not find any statements from Culkin, Pesci or Stern confirming a meetup. A separate, smaller reunion of actors who played the McCallister children was reported in 2024 — but Culkin, Pesci and Stern were not involved.
How to spot AI-generated celebrity photos
Look for odd or mismatched clothing details, unnatural hands or fingers, inconsistent lighting and uniformly youthful faces on older actors. Check whether reliable news outlets have covered the event, and search for video or multiple independent photo sources before sharing viral reunion images.
Bottom line: the viral “Home Alone” cast photos are AI-generated promotional images from a Dubai bakery, not proof that Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern reunited in person.
Image Referance: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/home-alone-reunion-photos/