It appears KJ Apa has some beef with himself? His alter ego? It’s not exactly clear, but the Riverdale actor has officially taken to social media to call out Mr. Fantasy.
In September 2025, Mr. Fantasy initially went viral for not only his eccentric personality, quirky style and signature black bob, but also because fans were convinced he was Apa’s alter ego. To back up their theories, fans point out that the pair have the exact same tattoos.
Up until now, the actor hasn’t addressed the comparisons that have been swirling on social media for months, especially as Mr. Fantasy has continued to see his star power rise from garnering more than 1.2 million followers on TikTok to performing his song “Mr. Fantasy” at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
On Wednesday, Apa posted a lengthy video on his Instagram (below), calling out the singer for stealing his image. “So there has been something going on for a long time that I haven’t addressed because I didn’t think it was even worth addressing,” the actor said in a serious tone. “But now, because of how it’s impacted my life personally, I feel like I have to talk about it, and I don’t usually do this, take things here to talk about. But I have to do it now because it’s hurting me, and my career, and there was recently a music video that was released that included a bunch of people who were really close to me by a guy who’s completely and utterly stolen my image and misappropriated my image. And I think we all know who we’re talking about.”
While Apa doesn’t name Mr. Fantasy directly, it’s obvious that the message is directed towards him, as the singer released a music video for his new song “Do Me Right” last week. Numerous celebrities make cameos in the video, including Apa’s Riverdale co-stars Camila Mendes, Lili Reinhart and Madelaine Petsch. Other stars featured are Alex Warren, Dave Franco, Rob Lowe, Nick Jonas, Neal McDonough, Hough Kiernan, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sombr and Zoey Deutch, among others.
“It’s fucked up,” Apa continued. “It’s fucked up because I just lost on a huge job. And can no longer go in for serious work because people think that I’m a joke because of this guy. And I don’t know what to do about it other than bring it here and do everything that I can to protect myself because it’s completely fucking disrespectful and completely wrong to do that.”
“If anyone out there thinks that it’s OK to take someone’s image, literal tattoos, and to use it for their own success, it’s completely wrong. And I can’t just sit back and watch it happen and see my life literally, everything that I’ve worked hard for, now come to a halt because of this fucking idiot. That’s all I’ll say. You know, this person advocates for positivity and for kindness and for all of this stuff. Look in the mirror and tell yourself that you’re not a fucking liar and a thief because that’s exactly what you are,” The Map That Leads to You star concluded.
Fans will just have to wait and see if Mr. Fantasy drops a response to Apa.
When The Hollywood Reporter caught up with the “Wayuwanna” singer last year, Mr. Fantasy said he wasn’t bothered by people comparing him to the actor on social media.
“Not bothered by it, not bothered by it,” he said at the time. “Things bother me sometimes, but I keep my eyes upward, and I keep trudging the happy road of happy destiny. You know, things can be hurtful, sure, but I focus on the positive. I focus on the people whom I love and who love me and that have a positive influence on my life, like James Franco.”