There are some pretty strange conspiracy theories out there, but the notion that Katy Perry could actually be JonBenét Ramsey has to be among the most bizarre.
If you're familiar with the case of JonBenét, you'll know that the six-year-old girl tragically lost her life around Christmas in 1996. She was found dead in the basement of her parents' home in Boulder, Colorado, and an autopsy revealed the cause of death was strangulation.
Almost 30 years on, JonBenét's murder remained unsolved - but some internet users believe she never actually died at all.
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Instead, they believe the little girl grew up to become none other than Katy Perry, the pop star famously from California.
Where did the theory begin?
While Perry herself has only recently shared her thoughts on the theory, it's something that's been floating around for more than a decade.
It seems like it all started in 2014, when a seven-minute video titled 'JonBenét Ramsey is singer Katy Perry' went viral with a string of claims which linked Perry to JonBenét.
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The original video has since been deleted, but it claimed that Perry's parents were actually John and Patsy Ramsey - the parents of JonBenét. It further claimed that her death was actually part of a plan to allow her to become famous.
More recently, an AI-generated video showing JonBenét morphing into Perry aimed to highlight the physical similarities between the pair.
'Links' between Perry and JonBenét
To back the claim, internet users have pointed to similarities in Perry and JonBenét's bone structures, particularly in their eyebrows, jaws, and noses.
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Another piece of 'evidence' in the theory stems from a 2011 interview Perry conducted with Vanity Fair, in which she reportedly made reference to JonBenét, who was a child beauty queen prior to her death.
Perry is quoted as saying: "Not that I was one of those stage kids. There was no JonBenét Ramsey inside of me waiting to burst out."
Some theorists have speculated this comment was actually a hint at Perry's real identity - despite her saying she was effectively the opposite of JonBenét.
What have people said about the theory?
Despite the fact that police in Boulder have spoken extensively about JonBenét's death, the theory took the internet by storm and appeared to convince a lot of users.
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Writing on Twitter in 2022, one person wrote: "Before we end 2022 I just wanna say that JonBenet Ramsey is actually Katy Perry…"
Another Twitter user claimed to share a whole thread on the theory, writing: "Why we know that Katy Perry is JonBenét Ramsey, a thread."
Perry herself also weighed in after she saw the AI-generated video, simply writing: "wait am i."
Problems with the theory
Again, beyond the fact that police have confirmed JonBenét to be dead, there are a number of holes with the theory.
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The first is the fact that Perry was born in 1984 - making her five years older than JonBenét, who was born in August 1990.
Perry was also, as I mentioned, born in California, in comparison to JonBenét who was born in Atlanta, Georgia.
Finally, Perry also has her own parents, Mary Christine (née Perry) and Maurice Keith Hudson.
Topics: Celebrity, Conspiracy Theories, Crime, Katy Perry, Viral
Emily Brown