Hundreds of people gathered in Union Square on April 27 to watch an anonymous person behind an orange mask consume an entire container of cheeseballs. It all began with one TikTok account under the username of “cheeseballman427.” 

“Cheeseball Man” began posting videos on social media platform TikTok around March, before he schemed his plans of eating an entire tub of cheeseballs. Posters began appearing all throughout Manhattan inviting many to join and watch him eat cheeseballs.

Hundreds of onlookers decided to join in and cheer Cheeseball Man on throughout the event. Many shouted “Cheeseball Man” and “eat those cheeseballs.”

Those who witnessed the feat noted that they attended because they found it “hilarious.” To hype up the crowd, the man held up a flag that had his face on it and waved it around. Many took to TikTok to record and upload videos to show clips from the event which gained much popularity all throughout the TikTok community. 

At one point throughout the event, the man almost seemingly throws up. “There was a moment that I was definitely going to throw up,” he recalled to ABC7. The crowd watching urged him to keep his vomit in, shouting “keep it down” loudly. After nearly vomiting, he screams, perhaps in disgust. 

Although the Cheeseball Man seemingly looks okay, he had a difficult time eating the cheeseballs. The cheeseballs were hard to chew down because of a mix up. Cheeseball Man had bought the incorrect cheeseballs.

“I’ve always had a bit of a gluten allergy. I get kind of bloated when I eat gluten. I thought that the cheese balls that I had gotten were actually gluten-free. But they weren’t. But I gotta power through it for the sake of the crowd, you know,” he told The Independent.

The anonymous man ended up eating an entire container of cheeseballs in just 30 minutes. Afterwards, he autographed items and took pictures with the onlookers

As for his life outside of eating cheeseballs, he told The Independent, that he picks up trash around New York City. “I clean up the city. I pick up trash. You know, when I see people they need to, you know,” he said. “Oh, I have to do it in the mask,” he added.

Although Cheeseball Man maintained his anonymity while eating the cheeseballs and throughout his TikTok account. Cheeseball Man told ABC News he is a recent 22-year-old NYU graduate. He also noted that he was shocked at just how many people showed. 

Cheeseball Man has taken to TikTok to note that many people have reached out and threatened to expose his identity. The man comments that he will take legal action on anyone who does so. His entire plan is to remain anonymous and to keep the orange mask on. 

As for any future plans, Cheeseball Man notes he plans on doing another similar event next year, but maybe with an even bigger container of cheeseballs. He plans on keeping this limited to only NYC, with many reaching out hoping he will do this in other cities as well.