Former viral sensation and aspiring heavy metal star Balloon Boy (otherwise known as Falcon Heene) has officially announced his endorsement of Donald J. Trump in an email to Gawker.

Richard Heene and his clan of fame chasers appeared on Friday's episode of Oprah: Where Are They Now? He thinks he and his family are known best for the two episodes of Wife Swap that they appeared on, but like much of what came out of his mouth during this bizarre interview, that's bullshit.

Richard Heene did not mean to utter the words. The 51-year-old manager of the Heene Boyz, an unsigned metal band comprising his three home-schooled sons, was recounting how one Christmas years ago, he was so broke that he'd had to design an ingenious sort of wooden building system, fabricated from $35 worth of materials, for his children's present.

The Heene family, of "balloon boy" fame, will shell out $36,000 in restitution.

Operation: Balloon Boy Rescue cost an estimated $43,000. There goes Falcon's college tuition.

Richard Heene has spoken out after Sheriff Jim Aldernan's press conference. He's currently "seeking counsel" and got teary as he told the AP that "this thing has become so convoluted." He's pretty on point in that regard.

Felony charges will be brought up against the Heene family, it seems. Warrants will be brought up against them. They don't know when the Heene's are going to be arrested. They're going to be going through Heene's computer and seeking out co-conspirators. "On the bizarre meter, this rates a 10," noted Alderden. They didn't search for drugs. They didn't do a thorough search of the house, and should've looked at the attic. They didn't.

Wow. Ready to have your mind blown? A former research assistant who slaved for Richard Heene is revealing the deceptive, tragic master plan that Heene concocted to manufacture a media thunderstorm. This...is completely insane. Here's a bullet-point summary:

For the first time, 25-year-old researcher Robert Thomas reveals to Gawker how earlier this year he and Richard Heene drew up a master plan to generate a massive media controversy using a weather balloon. To get famous, of course.

More evidence emerged this morning that yesterday's Balloon Boy escapade was either a deliberate hoax or the result of galactic idiocy, and local authorities have begun investigating whether it was staged.

Well, all the naysayers seem to have been right. Little Falcon Heene, who will now forever be immortalized as the balloon boy who sparked a media sensation, appeared on Larry King tonight and spilled the beans: it was a ruse!

At this hour, the Heene family are still giddy celebrating their child not being smashed to bits on the side of a mountain. But for us the good news means no annoying pause before blame can be assigned.

Update: TV news is reporting that six-year-old Falcon Heene was found safe in his home. He was never actually the balloon. Now the hoax questions begin.

Richard and Mayumi Heene, the parents of Falcon, who is missing after having apparently floated away in a helium balloon-craft built by his parents, have left a long and wide internet trail. Here's what we know.