He's now a teenager with a job and a bass guitar.
A decade ago, “Balloon Boy” captivated America as people watched what they believed was a boy trapped inside a large helium balloon flying alone over Colorado.
It famously turned out that little Falcon Heene was inside the family's home the whole time. Now, he's a teenager with a job and a bass guitar.
Falcon and his two brothers help their dad flip houses and play together in a heavy metal band.
Though he has clearly moved on from that day in 2009, he is defending his dad, Richard Heene, who went to jail for the stunt.
"It wasn't a hoax, there is more to the story," Falcon told Inside Edition.
The homemade flying saucer was filmed soaring out of control above Colorado with Falcon, then a 6-year-old boy, believed to be trapped inside. Millions tuned in to live coverage for two hours, rooting for the little guy's survival.
Richard had said the family of five was working on the helium balloon in their backyard when it flew off with the boy. However, it was revealed that Falcon had been hiding in the attic.
Police said the Heenes were seeking fame and staged the whole thing in hopes of landing a reality TV show. Mayumi Heene, Falcon's mom, later confessed to faking the emergency, and she and Richard pleaded guilty to related charges and served jail time.
But now, a decade later, the family is standing by their original story.
"We couldn’t find him, so I went into panic mode," Richard said of the event. "I have always been an honest guy, I have always been truthful."
Richard added that while he's lost job opportunities because of his notoriety, he has no regrets.
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