There’s drunk, and then there’s “legally changing your name and then forgetting about it” drunk. That’s what happened to one Celine Dion superfan in the U.K.
The New York Post reports that the 30-year-old man, born Thomas Dodd, was watching a concert by Celine on Christmas Eve and swilling a magnum of Champagne. While intoxicated, he went online and applied to legally change his name to Celine Dion, paying a fee of about $122 — and then forgot all about it.
“I honestly, hand on heart, don’t remember doing it!” the man told The Post. “I remember watching the concert and remember getting rather tipsy.”
A few days later, he tells the Post, he got the paperwork in the mail.
“I wasn’t aware I had done it until I found that envelope in my post,” he explained. “Initially, I had to sit down as I couldn’t believe it — so I then checked my bank which confirmed it all.” But rather than correcting his name-changing-while-drunk foolishness, he says, “Once it sunk in, I signed it straightaway, as I bloody love her!”
He admits his mother wasn’t thrilled initially, but now “she sees the funny side,” he notes, adding, “My friends have said they are not surprised!”
Mr. Dion says he’ll keep his new name, depending on “how difficult it makes my life.” He’s also working with a U.K. radio station to set up either a chat or meeting with the “real” Celine.
By Andrea Dresdale
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