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The 'real' Cocaine Bear is officiating a wedding in Kentucky - yes, seriously
We have a lot of questions about how this will work, but does it matter?
While the bride and groom at this wedding will be high on life, the officiant, well, may be high on something else. The real-life Cocaine Bear — or what's left of him — was set to perform his very first wedding ceremony this Monday at noon at a store in Lexington, Kentucky. While we have a lot of questions about the logistics of how this works, what we do know is that the lucky couple are named Alexandra and Armando, according to an announcement from Kentucky for Kentucky, the company that claims to own a stuffed bear that's considering by many to be the remains of the one that overdosed on cocaine when a shipment of the drug was dropped from a small plane by smugglers in Georgia in 1985.
We also know that they clearly have a great sense of humor if they're getting married by the bear who inspired the comedy horror flick, Cocaine Bear, which soared at the box office when it was released earlier this year. "Hearts are racing, and this time it’s not just because of all the powder," Kentucky for Kentucky added in its announcement. "There’s only one thing Pablo Escobear loves more than a duffle bag full of cocaine, and that’s folks finding true love."
The wedding is taking place at the Kentucky for Kentucky Fun Mall, a kooky souvenir and clothing shop where the bear has been on display since 2015. And as for whether the nuptials will be legit, Griffin VanMeter, co-founder of the organization, told Roadside America in a recent article, “As long as you feel that the person marrying you — like Cocaine Bear — has the authority, then that marriage can be binding here in Kentucky.”
Monday's ceremony is open to the public. "Guests are asked to dress in their bear-y best and help celebrate the couple-to-be, while also bear-ing witness to history in the making as Cocaine Bear’s legendary tale continues," Kentucky for Kentucky wrote. Adam Lewis, the retail manager for the organization wrote, "We’re so excited this couple has decided to be married by Cocaine Bear. We’re getting the chapel prepared with flowers and glowing hearts. Cocaine Bear can’t wait!”
While the real-life bear that found the duffel bag of coke that fell from the plane tore it open and sadly overdosed and died, the Cocaine Bear horror film greatly exaggerates the creature's story and lets it act out revenge on humankind with a murderous rampage. Directed by Elizabeth Banks, the film stars Keri Russell, Alden Ehrenreich, Margo Martindale, O'Shea Jackson, Jr., Ray Liotta, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and more.
As for whether the stuffed animal that's presiding over Monday's wedding is the real bear that fell victim to the cocaine drop, it's unlikely that the figure is entirely Cocaine Bear. Gary Garner, who was with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation during the 1985 incident, told the Associated Press at the time, "There’s nothing left but bones and a big hide,″ in regard to what was found.
You can check out Cocaine Bear on digital right now.
