Robert Spearing Faked Oprah Ticket Robbery, Police Say

Police: Man Lied About Being Beaten, Robbed Of 'Oprah' Tickets

A Canadian man faces felony charges after making up a story about being beaten and robbed of his Oprah "Farewell Spectacular" tickets in Chicago, according to police.

Robert Spearing, 44, was taken to Stroger Hospital Tuesday after telling Chicago police that two people beat him and stole his passes to the star-studded show near Madison and Wood streets, the Chicago Tribune reports.

He later recanted, telling police he wasn't beaten, and never had tickets to the event.

“He didn’t want his wife to be mad at him, so he said he got robbed,’’ Chicago police Lt. Kenneth Stoppa told the Chicago Sun-Times. The couple reportedly came from Ontario for the show, and Spearing believed he would be able to buy tickets outside the United Center. When he realized that was not the case, he made up the story.

He allegedly "scraped his hands on the sidewalk and used a rock to make a small cut on his forehead" in order to make the attack more believable, NBC Chicago reports.

Spearing was charged with felony disorderly conduct and for filing a false police report, the Tribune reports. He was ordered held on $20,000 bond Wednesday and is due back in court next week.

Oprah Winfrey was joined by more than 30 celebrities in Chicago Tuesday night for two special shows that will air May 23 and 24.

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot