A Tom Cruise lookalike has been kicked off Instagram for ‘pretending to be somebody,’ which has destroyed his enterprise.
Jerome LeBlanc, 33, from Quebec, Canada, who resides in San Diego, California, was faraway from the social media platform for breaking one of many apps ‘neighborhood pointers’ which forbid folks from impersonating others.
LeBlanc, who blessed with attractiveness and seems uncannily like the actual Tom Cruise, had been capable of finding work impersonating the High Gun actor and constructed up his Instagram following over the course of six years.
Having constructed up greater than 30,000 followers, his sudden elimination from Instagram led to a pointy drop in enterprise.
‘It was a reasonably large blow for somebody self employed like me to lose an account that introduced me a lot enterprise,’ LeBlanc advised DailyMail.com.
LeBlanc was first banned from the platform in June 2021. He appealed and was reinstated earlier than being caught off for good weeks later.
Jerome LeBlanc, 33, constructed up his Tom Cruise lookalike enterprise over 10 years however has now been kicked off Instagram
LeBlanc, left, impersonates the actual Tom Cruise and his character Maverick, proper, from the 1986 movie High Gun
Skilled Tom Cruise impersonator Jerome LeBlanc is seen on his Fb web page, left, whereas the actual deal Tom Cruise is seen, proper
Instagram guidelines state: ‘Creating an account to impersonate somebody is in opposition to the Neighborhood Tips and will outcome within the elimination of your account.’
The app additional advises: ‘Do not faux to be the actual particular person or model. This consists of: Talking within the voice or portraying your self as the person, model, or group. Misrepresenting your relationship to the person, model, or group.’
LeBlanc tells DailyMail.com: ‘I attempted interesting the disabling of my account – explaining I am impersonating a fictional character, however no luck. They acknowledged “I used to be pretending to be somebody, and my identify didn’t match the account.” In fact I wasn’t pretending to be anybody, I used to be impersonating a fictional character.’
LeBlanc set about offering Instagram paperwork that will hopefully see the corporate, which is owned by Meta (previously Fb), rethink.
He equipped them with data together with a enterprise license exhibiting that owned a lookalike enterprise, however the choice was a agency ‘no’.
‘I started to enchantment 3 times a day for weeks. Lastly, I acquired a distinct response, they stated I wanted both a lawyer or somebody on my behalf to show my legitimacy. So I retained a lawyer,’ he continued.
‘After 1000’s of {dollars} misplaced throughout the course of, and 1000’s spent on a lawyer making an attempt to regain my account. They by no means even responded to my lawyer,’ LeBlanc defined.
LeBlanc typically makes in-person appearances at military-themed occasions
LeBlanc has now been pressured to modify to TikTok to generate enterprise. He’s pictured in 2021
LeBlanc says he doesn’t imagine the actual Tom Cruise, pictured above, is chargeable for him being faraway from Instagram whereas others have urged that he could be
‘It has affected my enterprise vastly because of the reality my Instagram was primarily a San Diego base following. Which is the place I dwell. Additionally, to prime it off… That is all taking place throughout a pandemic the place we have to preserve a bodily distance.’
Earlier than heading on-line, LeBlanc started impersonating Cruise’s character Maverick from High Gun on Hollywood Blvd in Los Angeles on the age of 23, the place he would pose with vacationers.
In current occasions, when not making in-person appearances at events or bigger occasions such because the San Diego Comedian Con for a charge of 1000’s, LeBlanc would generate revenue by making private movies for many who requested them for round $80 a pop.
Regardless of talking French as a primary language, LeBlanc educated himself to excellent the quintessential Tom Cruise snigger, a trademark of the Syracuse-born famous person.
Now married with two kids, his impersonation function is his full-time job.
Since being kicked off Instagram, LeBlanc has been pressured to begin once more and has now switched to TikTok and Cameo.
LeBlanc started impersonating Cruise’s character Maverick from High Gun, on Hollywood Blvd pictured above, in Los Angeles on the age of 23, the place he would pose with vacationers
LeBlanc, pictured, says he doesn’t imagine the actual actor is behind his suspension however has had phrase that Cruise might effectively have had some affect behind the scenes
If you cannot meet Tom Cruise, you may at the very least pose with the subsequent neatest thing – meet Jerome LeBlanc!
LeBlanc is seen in a typical Tom Cruise pose with hair, glasses and flight jacket all within the character of Maverick from High Gun
Even actual life members of the U.S. Air Drive are completely satisfied to pose with the Tom Cruise impersonator
On TikTok, he has shortly managed to construct up a loyal fanbase of greater than 530,000 followers. However, he’s nonetheless dissatisfied in how he was handled by Instagram.
‘My profession was primarily ‘meet and greets’ and appearances, and due to this platform I survived your entire pandemic creating movies for folks and by no means receiving unemployment,’ he stated.
‘I am extraordinarily dissatisfied {that a} platform so big would not have a customer support system with actual folks responding.’
LeBlanc says he doesn’t imagine the actual actor is behind his suspension however has had phrase that Cruise might effectively have had some affect behind the scenes.
‘In November, I attempted interesting as soon as once more however the e mail handle merely bounced, so I’ve been undoubtedly banned from the interesting course of at this level.’
Regardless of a irritating six months, LeBlanc stays humble: ‘I am very grateful for a profession that isn’t solely enjoyable for me, however enjoyable for others. The alternate of vitality this job brings is completely improbable.’
Regardless of a irritating six months, LeBlanc stays humble: ‘ I am very grateful for a profession that isn’t solely enjoyable for me, however enjoyable for others. The alternate of vitality this job brings is completely improbable.’
Skilled Tom Cruise impersonator Jerome LeBlanc is seen on his Fb web page