The internet, and accidental nude images posted by a celebrity on their social media, is forever. No matter how quickly you delete something, you’re all but guaranteed that someone caught it and will never let you forget it, which Tom Welling learned when he accidentally bared all while in the Big Apple for New York Comic Con. So, when mistakes happen, you might as well have some fun with it.
While celebrities being in nude scenes is nothing new, it’s not often that the actors themselves are the ones responsible for baring all to the world. However, Welling was, as he posted an image that featured his nude reflection. And he couldn’t deny what he posted on his IG Story with the caption “Hello NYCC,” so why not have a sense of humor about it? He did just that by teaming up with internet personality Haley Baylee as his “new social media manager.” Check out the Instagram clip below:
Personally, I love any public figure who can poke fun at themselves, and Tom Welling has done just that. The hilarious video works better than any statement the 49-year-old actor could make about the situation, showing his sense of humor as he keeps going to Haley for approval on a series of different images before posting them on social media. Each time he shows her an image, she has to point out why they’re more revealing than he intended, getting him to try again. It all clearly addresses that he absolutely understands the mistake he made and is trying to make sure that doesn’t happen again.
Long before DC co-CEO James Gunn brought live-action TV projects to those with an HBO Max subscription, Welling became a heartthrob with his Smallville role, so it’s not surprising that the accidental nude image got so much attention. The biggest surprise is that it reportedly stayed up for 10 hours before being taken down.
Well, his photo might be gone, but it is not forgotten, and I’m glad to see that the Lucifer star is having fun with all of this. I could honestly see “The reflection Tom” caption that accompanies Haley’s Instagram post echoing in the actor’s head for the foreseeable future as he continues to work and promote his projects.
Along with staying busy at convention appearances, Welling saw his movie Chasing Summer premiere at Sundance as part of the 2026 movie schedule. So, we'll have to keep an eye out to see if/when that gets a wide theatrical release. In the meantime, you can watch his time on Smallville with a Hulu subscription, and I'll keep hoping we get more self-aware and hilarious posts from the actor in the future.
