Woman annuls 'marriage' after discovering 'prank' wedding was real

SYDNEY: A woman who believed she was part of a social media prank when she got married, successfully annulled it after discovering the ceremony was legally binding.

The woman living in Sydney thought her wedding to a social media influencer was just a staged event for his Instagram account. The prank took place during a 'white party' in Sydney, where the influencer told her that the ceremony was a setup to boost his following.

According to a BBC report, the bride, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and the groom met on a dating app and began dating in September 2023.

"I was completely taken aback when I arrived and realized it was a real wedding," she told the court. "I thought it was all a joke, but it turned out to be legally binding."

She said only found out when he asked her to include his name on her application for permanent residency that she realized the wedding was legal. The former couple are both foreigners in Australia.

The woman filed for an annulment, arguing that the marriage lacked genuine consent and was intended as a joke. It was finalized in October 2024.

The influencer, who has over 17,000 Instagram followers, denied any deception and claimed they had agreed to an intimate ceremony with plans for a formal wedding later.