False claims that reality TV star Kim Kardashian was holidaying in far north Queensland have been revealed as a promotional stunt.
The ABC reported the fabricated story by a Cairns café owner after he posted a comment on social media claiming Ms Kardashian and her actor and comedian boyfriend Pete Davidson had dined in his establishment.
Café owner Matt Black was interviewed by ABC radio but later admitted the story was untrue.
Comedian and Saturday Night Live star Davidson is in far north Queensland ahead of filming for comedy film Wizards! expected to start next week.
Photos of Davidson posing with fans have been posted on social media.
In the recorded interview run on ABC radio, Mr Black claimed he'd initially been approached by the couple's security. Then, he said, "Sure enough, in walked bloody Kimmy K and Pete Davidson".
After the ABC aired the interview and published an online story, doubts about the claims emerged. A spokesperson for the Wizards! film production team later confirmed Ms Kardashian was not in Cairns.
Mr Black told the ABC he'd made the comments as a joke and thought it would be "a small, unharmful piece of promo" for his café.
"The small, little story was to get people having a little excitement about celebs being around town," he said.
Pictures of the couple holidaying in a tropical destination, published by the ABC, were reportedly taken in Tahiti, while Ms Kardashian was photographed in Los Angeles earlier this week.
Editor's note (17/6/2022): The ABC has updated this story from an earlier version which stated that Kim Kardashian had visited a Cairns cafe and been photographed on a Queensland beach. That report was incorrect.
