Pranks are usually meant to bring laughter — the kind of harmless fun that makes people smile once the surprise is revealed.
But not all practical jokes land that way.
Some staged stunts have gone so far that they leave participants shaken, terrified, and in some cases even traumatized.
From fake kidnappings staged by actors dressed as ISIS militants to mock plane crashes and even YouTube pranks that ended in tragedy, these are the kinds of “jokes” that highlight just how quickly entertainment can tip into cruelty.
Actress Tricked Into Fake ISIS Kidnapping
One of the most disturbing examples unfolded in Egypt, where actress Heba Magdi was duped into believing she had been kidnapped by ISIS.
Surrounded by men in balaclavas waving guns, Magdi was forced to pose in front of an ISIS flag as she begged for her life.
Hidden cameras captured her sobbing, cowering behind a chair, and pleading with the militants as they pretended to strap a suicide vest onto her shoulders.
Her terror was so real that even when the prank was revealed, she remained visibly shaken, unable to find the humor in the ordeal.
Iraqi Show Stages Fake Executions of Celebrities
In Iraq, the prank show Tanneb Rislan drew outrage for its shocking format. Celebrities were invited under the pretense of helping families displaced by extremists — only to be ambushed by actors posing as jihadists.
Actress Nessma, one of the show’s victims, was tied up, blindfolded, and fitted with a fake suicide vest before collapsing from sheer fear.
Even after fainting, she was splashed with water and dragged back into the staged nightmare.
The program aired during Ramadan, but instead of laughs, it sparked a scandal over its shocking insensitivity.
Footballer Dragged Into a Desert Execution Scene
Former Rangers and Charlton defender Madjid Bougherra also fell victim to an extreme prank.
While relaxing in a café in Algeria, he was seized by fake militants, blindfolded, and driven to a desert.
There, he and other captives were forced to kneel in the sand as if awaiting execution.
Though eventually told it was a prank, Bougherra’s fear was unmistakable.
The stunt ended with him chasing down the friend who had helped set him up.
YouTube Prank Gone Fatally Wrong
Not all pranks end with relief and laughter. In Tennessee, 20-year-old Timothy Wilks was shot dead while attempting a YouTube “robbery prank” with knives outside a trampoline park in 2021.
Believing he was being attacked, a man in the group Wilks approached opened fire in self-defense.
No charges were filed, but Wilks’ grandmother later begged others to avoid such dangerous stunts, saying, “Do something positive. Don’t put your family through this pain.”
Lebanese Celebrities Put Through Fake Plane Crash
In Lebanon, the prank show Urgent Landing forced celebrities to endure a staged plane crash.
On one episode, media personality Reham Hajjaj was told mid-flight that the plane was going down.
Convinced she was about to die, Hajjaj panicked, cried, and eventually stared numbly out the window believing it was her last flight.
Only when the plane safely landed was she told it had all been a prank.
A Father Pretends to Kill His Own Child
American YouTuber Roman Atwood faced backlash after posting a video where he tricked his wife into thinking he had accidentally killed their son.
By swapping his child with a mannequin dressed in the same Spider-Man costume, Atwood made it look as if he had thrown his son over a balcony. His wife’s horrified reaction turned to fury when she realized it was staged.
“You don’t pretend to throw kids off a f***ing balcony,” she snapped.
Fake Execution Sparks Backlash for YouTuber
Infamous YouTuber Sam Pepper pushed boundaries further with his “Killing Best Friend Prank.”
In it, he staged the mock execution of internet personality Colby Brock in front of his friend Sam Golbach.
Though the two were in on the prank, the execution-style setup drew fury online, with many accusing Pepper of glamorizing extremist violence.
Pepper defended it as a “wake-up call about valuing life,” but few were convinced.
TV Producer Fired Over Volcano Prank
Sometimes even newsrooms have crossed the line. Just a week after the deadly Mount St. Helens eruption in 1980, TV producer Homer Cilley was sacked after airing a prank news segment claiming that a Massachusetts hill was erupting.
Despite ending the report with an “April Fools” sign, hundreds of frightened viewers called police and civil defense hotlines.
Cilley later admitted, “The firing was fully justified. I did it, and I’ll have to bear it.”
When “Entertainment” Turns Into Trauma
From fake kidnappings to staged executions and life-or-death scenarios, these so-called pranks highlight the dangers of pushing shock value too far.
While some people walk away angry, others are left deeply shaken — and in rare cases, lives have even been lost.
What’s Next?
As prank culture continues to chase views and viral moments, the line between comedy and cruelty is becoming harder to define.
The real question is whether future creators will learn from these cautionary tales — or keep testing limits until another stunt ends in tragedy.
