Family Conspires for Over 10 Years to Pull “Uncle Frank” Prank on Children — But Did This Video Just Spoil It?

A woman may've just ruined a prank that has been going on for 10 years, and counting, mounting to a grand reveal. Cassie (@crazycass37) posted a viral TikTok about the gag her husband's family committed to after learning that his cousin was pregnant.

While deciding what her child should refer to him as while he's growing up, they toyed around with a few names. Since Cassie's husband's name is Kyle, they thought Uncle Kyle would be a good name that described his relationship with to the kids. Plus, his name is Kyle.

However, Cassie's husband and his cousin soon had other ideas. Instead, they decided to come up with an entirely different name that her kid would call him by. Soon, the prank snowballed into a grand scheme that other members of the family would work to uphold until his cousin's kid's 18th birthday.

Cassie detailed the particulars of this prank in a TikTok that's accrued over 51,000 views. She broke down just how dedicated her husband's family has been to upholding this gag. But since her clip is gaining traction, is there any danger of Kyle's cousins seeing the video, thus, letting the cat out of the bag?

Cassie records her video in what looks like a living room. She speaks directly into the lens while running her fingers through her hair.

"OK, I just put my hair down for the night. And it's time to tell you the tale of the 10-plus-year running prank that my husband has been pulling."

Next, she takes a beat and then begins speaking into the camera to explain the nature of this prank and how it's been going on for so long.

And it's rooted in a nomenclature for a specific family relation.

"So, my husband's cousin who he's like siblings with, like you know, you grow up really close with your cousins. So she had a baby, and you know like, when your cousins, you're like, 'Oh what are you gonna call me?' And she's like, 'Oh yeah like Kyle, that's my husband's name, you'll be like Uncle Kyle. That's what I'm gonna teach my kids to call you.'"

Cassie then goes on to state that her husband, Kyle, thought it would be a good idea to come up with a completely different name for him to be called.

"And my husband was like, 'Oh, cool, cool, cool.' So then he thought about it, and he was like, 'Actually, you know what would be really funny? What if we tell him to call me something like, completely different? Like what if, we tell him my name is Frank?'"

According to her, Kyle decided, "We'll just go with Uncle Frank. And that's what we'll call me. So he tells his cousin she's like oh yeah that like, that's funny we can do that whatever. Then my husband's like not only do I want you to like help push this facade onto your literal newborn child as it grows up, that my name is Uncle Frank, on his 18th birthday, when we ... go to celebrate [his] 18th birthday, that is when Kyle is going to reveal that his name is not Frank."

Cassie spoke about this revelation even further, "And his name is Kyle and they're ... he's not his Uncle, he's his cousin. Now, our family is so committed to this bit, that for the last 10 years, that baby is now 10 years old, and she, his cousin has had two additional children, so she has three children, all three of which, have been raised to only refer to my husband as Uncle Frank."

The TikToker went on to further illustrate the extent in which her husband's family has gone into ensuring that this prank isn't spoiled before his cousin's oldest child turns 18 years old. "He is around and they're around, and we're all together. Everyone else in the family immediately stops calling him Kyle, and we only refer to him as Frank."

At this point in the video, she laughs, and seems surprised by the dedication everyone in the family has to maintaining this bit for so long. "This has been going on for 10 years. We only have eight left. Until, well not even, his birthday's like in October, so, we have like, seven and change left. Until this grand prank is revealed."

Cassie capped off her video by stating, "And I literally cannot wait but I had to share with you cause it's killing me. It's so good."

One person believes that even when the reveal is made, his cousin's kids will still continue to call him Frank. "I think the trick is on Kyle because I’m guessing Kyle will fade and Frank will stay."

Someone else thought it would be a way better idea to keep the joke running with Kyle's cousin's kids once they hit 18 years old. This way, they can perpetuate a timeless cycle of Frank-ness. "But hear me out ... bring him into the loop at 18 and continue it as the others grow until they are 18 and so on."

While another thought there may be some unintended consequences for lying to kids for this long about something as basic as a family member's name. "This will either be hysterical or complete trauma when the kid is 18 and ready to conquer the world and finds out all those closest to him have been lying his entire life."

Someone else, however, didn't see the point of the gag. To them, it didn't seem like that great of a joke, i.e. so what, you told me your name was something else for so long? "Tbh I’d have the most underwhelming reaction to this prank. I’d be like, 'but … why?'"