No, Jerry O’Connell is not a homeless man, nor did he steal his own car.
“Just to be clear, I am not the homeless man in this story,” O’Connell, 51, shared via X on Friday, January 23, alongside a New York Post article about the recovery of his stolen Cadillac. The headline read: “Homeless man caught driving Jerry Maguire star’s stolen Cadillac before he knew it was gone.”
O’Connell noted that he was “very grateful” for the LASD Malibu/Lost Hills Station who helped recover the car before following up with a second social media post, further attempting to clarify the situation.
“I am not the ‘Homeless Man’ in this article. All this while Gavin Newsome [sic] was at DAVOS. JK,” O’Connell quipped, referring to the governor of California. “I left my keys in center console. MY BAD. HEART YOU LOST HILLS SHERIFFS!”
Hours later, he shared the same article a third time.
“Again @nypost I am not homeless and I did not steal Tom Cruise‘s car,” he added in a third X post. “Thank You Lost Hills Sheriffs for getting my car back.”
Multiple outlets reported on Thursday, January 22, that, earlier this month, the Lost Hills Sheriffs had pulled over a homeless man driving a stolen 1979 Cadillac, which belonged to O’Connell.
The vehicle was pulled over on the Pacific Coast Highway for speeding on January 13, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The driver could not provide a valid license, registration or proof of insurance before apparently claiming that the car belonged to a family member.
After confirming that the car belonged to O’Connell, it was determined that the vehicle had been stolen out of his driveway when the family was out of town. The car has since been returned.
O’Connell shared The New York Post article a fourth time on X, poking fun at the entire ordeal.
“’SHOW ME THE GAS MONEY!’ Some guy in my Fantasy Chat, just now,” he wrote, referencing Cruise’s iconic from the 1996 movie Jerry McGuire, in which O’Connell appeared as Frank Cushman.
O’Connell is no stranger to going viral.
Late last year, fans watched along as the actor supported the Los Angeles Dodgers take on the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2025 World Series — but found himself in a precarious situation during game three.
The teams were tied at the end of nine innings with O’Connell sharing live updates from Dodgers Stadium.
“This has gotta end at some point,” he captioned an Instagram selfie at the time. During the 14th inning, O’Connell made it clear that he wasn’t giving up.
“I’m not f***ing leaving!” he wrote in another social media post, seemingly referencing Leonardo DiCaprio’s famous line from 2014’s The Wolf of Wall Street. One fan commented that it was well after 10 p.m.
“Bro. I’ve been here since 4 and I have to s***,” O’Connell replied. At the bottom of the 15th he shared another update, adding, “Bottom of 15th, Jumbotron quit.”
By the end of the 18th, the Dodgers won 6-5.
“Got the shot,” he wrote, posting the final moments of the game. “Going home to feed my dogs.”
Just For You
