A TikTok creator’s eerie photo comparison of the Hollywood actor has triggered an avalanche of speculation, confusion, and even conspiracy theories centered around one burning question: what is going on with his face?
On October 14, 2025, the TikTok account @atruth4u posted a now-viral video dissecting recent images of Bradley Cooper. But instead of simply noting signs of aging or a new look, the creator questioned whether the man in the latest photos is even the real Cooper at all. Understandably, the comments section was lit.
The clip opened with a typical TikTok-style scene: the creator’s head superimposed over a photo of Cooper behind her.
“What happened here? Why? What’s going on in Hollywood? Why are the men looking like this, and the women are aging backwards?” she asked, gesturing to the image of the actor on the screen.
From there, the commentary takes a more surreal turn. “It’s like they’re getting their souls sucked from their bodies,” she continued. “This is giving me totally weird vibes. Articles are coming out about Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid on a date, and I’m like, ‘Where’s Bradley Cooper?’ […] It’s totally creeping me out. This guy is not Bradley Cooper.”
She then shifted to an older image of the actor, one she claimed looks like the actual Cooper, before going back to recent shots.
“And look at his eyes, guys. They look completely glazed over. It’s like there’s no emotion behind them whatsoever. And I know a lot of people in my comment section are gonna be like, ‘Well, he’s 50 years old. He’s aging,'” she said, before cutting to another photo from 2024, in which the star still looked like she remembered.
Finally, the TikToker returned to a 2025 image. “And now, not the same. Not the same in the least bit. How does this happen in less than a year?” she questioned in disbelief.
The video continued with the TikToker digging deeper into what she called “variations” of Cooper. She wondered whether the actor was using one or more body doubles for appearances, pointing to different scruffy photos of him that she said were all different.
“He doesn’t look anything like his original self. But if this is what Bradley Cooper looks like with scruff,” she added, gesturing to one picture before showing another and wondering, “Why does he look recognizable with scruff in this picture?”
Then, in a third image from another event, she asked, “Why is Bradley Cooper looking like a different character everywhere I turn? I’m really really trying to find the original, but this is always how I always remember Bradley Cooper looking.”
The clip has now amassed over six million views and more than 16,000 comments, many of them echoing the same unsettling sentiment: something about Cooper seems off.
“His eyes look soulless. he looks like those old photos of soldiers who have been thru extreme trauma in a war 🤔 [sic],” one viewer wrote. Another added bluntly, “He looks so WEIRD.”
One comment simply declared, “thats not Bradley Cooper 100% [sic].” Another chimed in, “That’s definitely not him.”
One TikToker compared him to another Hollywood veteran, “Kevin Costner at 70 is looking better than Bradley Cooper at 50. just sayin [sic].” That comment, among others, fanned the flames of a broader conspiracy theory: that Cooper may not just look different; he might have been replaced.
“I definitely believe no celebrities are alive anymore all have been replaced with npcs [sic],” one person theorized. Another agreed, “switching them out..not the same person [sic].”
A different viewer offered their own theory, “There are obvious changes. I’m with you! I just don’t know wth is going on?!? It’s like they made clones of them…but why all of a sudden. This NEVER occurred with previous celebrities [sic].”
Still, one commenter expressed a simpler explanation, “I feel like this is a result of Botox.”
Theories aside, one thing is clear: many people are convinced that either Hollywood is hiding something or Bradley Cooper is.
Here’s a look at how the actor has changed since the 2000s:
2003
Bradley Cooper, 28, looked distinctly younger compared to his later roles. His face showed his striking blue eyes, minimal stubble, and slightly reddened cheeks during the Teen Vogue Young Hollywood Party at a Private Residence on September 5, 2003, in Beverly Hills, California.
2005
A few years later, Cooper, at 30, maintained a youthful face, short, light brown hair, and slight stubble as he stood next to Jaime King and Bonnie Somerville, at Movieline’s “Kitchen Confidential” party at Hollywood Life’s Young Hollywood House at The Pacific Design Center on October 8, 2005, in Los Angeles, California.
In this wider angle from the same event, Cooper’s features still appeared fresh and youthful, with his minimal stubble, bright blue eyes, and defined coloration on his cheeks, maintaining a clean-cut look as he established himself in the industry.
2008
Cooper, at 33, had a slightly more mature appearance, marked by visible laugh lines around his intense blue eyes and a noticeably fuller, darker beard that gave him a more rugged look. He was seen here at the Opening Night Performance of “Good Boys and True” at the Second Stage Theatre on May 19, 2008, in New York City.
At 35, Cooper had a smooth, youthful complexion, clear bright eyes, and a prominent, wide smile that creased his cheeks. He was seen here next to Eva Longoria Parker during CAA’s Young Hollywood Party Benefitting Communities In Schools Los Angeles West at MyHouse Nightclub on October 7, 2010, in Hollywood, California.
2012
Cooper, 37, had a more mature appearance with visible stubble, slightly defined laugh lines around his eyes, and brown hair worn longer. He was seen next to Noemia Young during a special screening of “Silver Linings Playbook” after party at AMPAS Samuel Goldwyn Theater on November 19, 2012, in Beverly Hills, California.
At 43, Cooper showed signs of aging in his defined forehead lines and a noticeable salt-and-pepper stubble, which is darker and fuller than in previous photos. He was seen here next to Lady Gaga at the “A Star Is Born” photocall during the 75th Venice Film Festival on August 31, 2018, in Venice, Italy.
That same day, Cooper showed the same signs of aging, including defined forehead lines and salt-and-pepper stubble, but presents a slightly more debonair and elegant look. He and Lady Gaga were attending the “A Star Is Born” red carpet premiere during the 75th Venice Film Festival on August 31, 2018, in Venice, Italy.
Cooper appeared slightly older here, with defined laugh lines around his eyes and faint forehead creases, and a short stubble covering his jawline. Here, he stood next to Tanya Tucker at the “A Star Is Born” screening at AMC DINE-IN Thoroughbred 20 on September 18, 2018, in Franklin, Tennessee.
2020
Cooper, now 44, displayed a smooth complexion despite his age with only subtle hints of fine lines around his mouth thanks to his wide smile. He was seen here next to Brad Pitt at The National Board of Review Annual Awards Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street on January 8, 2020, in New York City.
At 45, Cooper was seen in character with a striking wig styled in a straight middle part and bangs. He also had a noticeable dark, thick beard. His face is dramatically made up to appear injured with faux blood visible on his chest and neck, while on the set of a Paul Thomas Anderson movie on August 29, 2020, in Encino, California.
2023
Cooper, 48, showed visible signs of aging with crow’s feet around his blue eyes, a short, salt-and-pepper beard, and closely cropped brown hair as he attended the Gotham Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on November 27, 2023, in New York City.
Cooper’s face displayed laugh lines thanks to a prominent smile in this photo. He also had closely cropped, dark brown hair with slight silvering at the temples and a neat stubble as he attended Netflix’s “Maestro” Los Angeles Photo Call at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on December 12, 2023, in Los Angeles, California.
2024
Cooper, now 49, displayed a warm, prominent smile with visible crow’s feet around his bright blue eyes, and had a full, salt-and-pepper beard. He was seen here attending the Santa Barbara International Film Festival Outstanding Performer of the Year Award held at The Arlington Theatre on February 8, 2024, in Santa Barbara, California.
Cooper exhibited a distinguished appearance with fine lines around his eyes, a fuller dark beard with hints of gray, and short, dark brown hair styled with a slight quiff as he attended the EE BAFTA Film Awards 2024 at The Royal Festival Hall on February 18, 2024, in London, England. Although he has aged, he still looked mostly the same.
Cooper was seen grinning slightly and showing the crow’s feet around his bright blue eyes. He also had a neat, salt-and-pepper beard, and his hair was neatly parted and swept back as he arrived at the 10th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on April 13, 2024, in Los Angeles, California.
Cooper showed a fresh complexion with a pleasant, subtle smirk on his lips, framed by a short, manicured beard flecked with gray. He was seen here at the Mercedes-Benz all new G-Class Los Angeles star-studded world premiere held at Franklin Canyon Park on April 23, 2024, in Beverly Hills, California.
Cooper sported a smooth brow and a genuine, contented grin that reached his intense blue eyes, but deepened the crow’s feet around his eyes. His dark hair had a subtle wave and was slightly elevated off his forehead as he attended Paramount’s “If” New York premiere at SVA Theater on May 13, 2024, in New York City.
Cooper exhibited a casual appearance while speaking during his conference at the “Mexico Siglo XXI 2024” event by Fundacion Telmex at Auditorio Nacional on September 6, 2024, in Mexico City, Mexico. He showed the fine lines around his eyes, a full salt-and-pepper beard, and longer, wavy brown hair swept back from his face.
Cooper had a long, thick beard with a significant amount of gray and a relaxed expression in this photo. He was hosting a dinner with Charitybuzz to benefit One Tribe Foundation which supports therapies to veterans, first responders, law enforcement and their families at Hotel Chelsea on October 9, 2024, in New York City.
Cooper had a distinguished appearance here, but it was still easy to see the fine lines around his eyes and his full salt-and-pepper beard that covered his lower face. In this photo, he smiled next to Ebony Obsidian at Netflix’s “The Six Triple Eight” NYC Tastemaker Screening at Crosby Hotel on December 16, 2024, in New York City.2025
Cooper, now 50, maintained a calm expression with subtle lines etching his forehead and surrounding his eyes. He wore a full, well-groomed beard, showing a blend of brown and gray, as he attended the Louis Vuitton Menswear Fall-Winter 2025/2026 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on January 21, 2025, in Paris, France.
Cooper conveyed a warm expression with his eyes crinkling at the corners as he raised his hand in a wave, showcasing a full beard with prominent streaks of gray. This was taken during the NFC Championship Game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 26, 2025, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Cooper showed genuine smile that accentuated the fine lines around his blue eyes. He also wore a full, well-maintained beard with his now-signature salt-and-pepper blend, as he attended the “All We Cannot See” premiere during the 2025 Tribeca Festival at AMC 19th Street on June 8, 2025, in New York City.
Cooper was seen with a thin, dark mustache above his subtle smile and only a minimal trace of stubble elsewhere on his chin. Although his crow’s feet are prominent, his skin looks bright and healthy, as he attended the Louis Vuitton Menswear Spring/Summer 2026 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on June 24, 2025, in Paris, France.
In this photo, Cooper’s signature stubble was gone, giving his face a seemingly longer appearance as he was seen holding hands with Gigi Hadid at the Vogue October issue cocktail party at Monsieur in the East Village on September 14, 2025, in New York City. His jawline also looked slightly different from his previous images
Cooper looked much more like himself here. He was seen with crow’s feet around his eyes and wearing a short beard with mixed brown and gray hairs as he attended the “Is This Thing On” premiere afterparty during the 63rd annual New York Film Festival at the Comedy Cellar on October 10, 2025, in New York City.
In his most recent shots, Cooper was seen with a subtle smile and with just a few fine lines tracing the outer corners of his eyes. But his expression here gave him a slightly puzzling appearance. This was the premiere for “Is This Thing On?” during the 63rd New York Film Festival at Alice Tully Hall on October 10, 2025, in New York City.
In this other angle from the same event, Cooper can be seen grinning slightly while staring directly at the camera. His skin has a slight yellow discoloration, likely due to the background and flashes from the cameras. But his age lines are prominent, and nothing seems amiss
This is another angle from the same event where Cooper showed a more serious expression. But his face looked just almost like his appearances during the 2000s, just more handsome as he has matured with age with a few traces of gray on his beard.
