‘I personally remember it being a candy bar’: There’s a new Mandela Effect example going around. It pertains to Willy Wonka

A TikTok video is sending movie fans back to one of the most beloved family classics ever made. The reason why? A TikTok creator claimed he may have found a Mandela Effect in it.

Thewhatisrealitypodcast (@thewhatisrealitypod) shared a video with more than 177,000 views. In it, the content creator claimed to stumble across a confusing detail in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. It didn't match the version he remembered growing up. 

Before playing the clip, he explained that he distinctly remembered Charlie Bucket receiving a chocolate bar. Instead, when the movie footage rolled, Charlie appeared to unwrap a round moon-pie-shaped treat.

What is the Mandela Effect?

The Mandela Effect describes a phenomenon where large groups of people confidently remember something differently from how it actually appears in history, pop culture, or media. 

The term was coined after many people believed that former South African president Nelson Mandela had died in prison during the 1980s. The fact is that he was released in 1990 and died in 2013.

Since then, countless examples have circulated online, from famous movie quotes to logos and product names. While some enjoy treating them like mysteries, psychologists generally explain the phenomenon as a result of false memories, memory reconstruction, and the way brains fill in missing details over time.

Did it appear to be another Mandela Effect?

Like any good Mandela Effect discussion, viewers who saw Thewhatisrealitypodcast's video started comparing memories.

Some viewers were adamant they remembered Charlie breaking apart a chocolate bar for his family. Others insisted the round treat had always been there. Several people even suggested they were mixing the 1971 film with the 2005 adaptation.

“Y'all are just getting cognitive dissonance and mistaking the new one with the old one,” suggested one user.

Still, many viewers thought that suggestion was wrong.

“I remember this clearly and I'm 32!! He breaks the chocolate into pieces and shares with his family.. this is a new scene to me bc I've never seen it like that with a moon pie!! Wtf,” said one viewer.

“Sheesh, first one is a moon pie but it's from Wonka, he says it is a Wonka. The second one is the bar from Papa Joe, the third and forth one is from Candy shop where he gets the second bar. it's been that way. At least in my time line,” said another commenter.

As with most alleged Mandela Effects, viewers were confident on both sides.

@thewhatisrealitypod willy Wonka Mandela effect #alien #ghost #mandelaeffect #fyp #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp ♬ Horror, suspense, weirdness, ghost, UFO – Zassh

Did another viral video claim fresh Mandela Effects are emerging?

Another TikTok video with more than 1.4 million views has reignited conversations about “new” Mandela Effects. 

TikTok creator Chester Gregory (@chestergregory) told viewers that two recent discoveries “shook him to the core.” They challenged memories he was convinced were accurate.

The first centered on the color chartreuse. Gregory said he had always known chartreuse referred to a bright fuchsia or pinkish-purple shade, only to discover that dictionaries define chartreuse as a yellowish-green color. 

The revelation sparked a familiar divide in the comments. Many users insisted they also remembered chartreuse as a shade of pink, while others said it had always been green. 

“Chartreuse was a burgundy/red. I'll die on this hill,” confidently stated one commenter.

“Chartreuse has always been green, my friend,” said another TikToker.

A follow-up video claimed that both colors were chartreuse, with the pink version referencing the name of a flower. But this is still factually incorrect. Chartreuse only refers to the yellowish-green color, despite the Mandela Effect surrounding it.

His second example took a different approach. Gregory recalled seeing a promotional poster for a celebrity performance featuring someone he believed had died years ago. Rather than revealing the name immediately, he challenged viewers to guess who they thought it might be. 

In another video, he identified the performer as Emmanuel Lewis. Despite Lewis being alive, many commenters claimed they distinctly remembered news of his death years earlier. Others suggested people may have confused him with another celebrity, saying they had no recollection of Lewis ever passing away.

“People get Emmanuel Lewis and Gary Coleman mixed up a lot,” one viewer suggested.

“I didn't confuse anyone. They are both distinct figures from Webster and different stroke and they both went on to glory where I'm from,” another commenter said.

Buzz News reached out to Gregory and Thewhatisrealitypodcast via email.