The frontman of one of the world’s most famous bands allegedly encountered shapeshifters in 2018 and claimed they were real. However, commentators are now piecing together more theories to explain what the Smashing Pumpkins All-Star is really about.
Billy Corgan, best known for his work with Chicago band The Smashing Pumpkins, claimed he saw someone physically deformed. He later discussed the incident in an interview and said he discovered why they did it. According to some commenters, Corgan said later in the interview that he actually witnessed the transformation “twice.” While the alt-rock frontman allegedly knew why the person “switched” and how they did it, he didn’t share those details with Howard Stern on his radio show, The Howard Stern Show.
@thestrangestdaily, a TikTok content page dedicated to “unsolved mysteries, true crime, the paranormal and all things weird,” shares old clips to TikTok and YouTube, looking back at recent interviews.
This led many to question what exactly Corgan had seen, as the singer seemed afraid to discuss the matter on air. “It’s a really confusing story,” Cogan said.
Kogan’s alleged experience with using a shapeshifter
In 2018, Kogan discussed the concept of shapeshifters with Stern on the show, saying he saw a “shapeshifter” transform in front of him.
During the interview, Kogan described small details as he was being “deliberately vague” on purpose.
“Let’s put it this way, I was once with someone and I saw a transformation that I couldn’t really explain,” Kogan said. He also mentioned that it was “one of the most intense things” he had ever experienced.
“Imagine you’re doing something and all of a sudden you turn around and there’s someone else standing there,” Kogan added. The singer clarified that he was not at liberty to fully explain the situation, but that it was more “dreamlike” than Stern imagined.
Other details, such as the fact that Corgan saw the man “naked,” added to Stern’s curiosity during the broadcast. The Smashing Pumpkins singer let Stern know he would “confidently” tell him more details, but Stern continued to speculate on what the “shapeshifter” was.
“I can’t discuss this anymore,” Corgan reiterated. That was how he ended the discussion.
Other outlets noted Corgan’s hesitance about the “Shapeshifters” story, which he had previously mentioned in an interview with Mancow. Alternative Country recorded the interview, with the frontman saying: “If it could be treated as a phenomenon, as a serious thing, as something supernatural, I’d be more than happy to talk about it.”
Kogan also said that demons do exist, further strengthening his claims against The People’s Voice. The publication also said Kogan was cryptic in his remarks out of fear for his loved ones and career.
What exactly is this shapeshifter that Kogan calls?
There are many mythical explanations for what exactly Corgan’s “shapeshifting” acquaintance was.
There are long-standing theories about alien life forms and reptiles possessing the ability to shift consciousness. Many viewers immediately connected the subtext behind Kogan’s words to the reptilian conspiracy theory, which is believed to originate from the teachings of David Icke. Ike proposed that many global leaders and important representatives were actually reptilian humanoids or snakes in the late 1990s.
Commenters on TikTok even mentioned this specific difference: The Bible says “serpent” not “serpent.” As one viewer said, “Let’s clarify, the Bible doesn’t use the word ‘serpent,’ it uses ‘serpent.'”
Others believe Corgan may be talking to angels. As one viewer said, “1/3 of angels fall from heaven, and as the Bible tells us repeatedly, angels can become humans. God tells us to be careful, we never know when we are entertaining angels!”
Whatever Corgan’s “shapeshifter,” many commenters saw an unusual, visceral transformation. There have also apparently been reports of figures such as Michael Jackson and Prince “floating” or suddenly disappearing into thin air, and although there are few physical records, many people claim to have experienced similar encounters.
A very specific theory emerges
Many commenters thought they figured out exactly who Kogan was referring to. According to some theories online, the “shapeshifter” is Tila Tequila (legally known as Thien Thanh Thi Nguyen).
Tila Tequila was a popular star on Myspace, which she later parlayed into the MTV dating show “Love with Tila Tequila.” Corgan briefly dated the celebrity in 2009 and appeared with the MySpace star at the Bravo A-list Awards.
Polarity Josh, a YouTuber with approximately 115,000 subscribers as of December 2025, posted a video discussing this possibility, which has received 1.1 million views. Polarity Josh managed to find a contact who was “in the same circle” as Corgan, who is from the Chicago area. This contact allegedly adds plausibility to the idea that Teela Agave may be a shapeshifter, but not a “reptilian”. Instead, they suggest, there’s a deeper web underneath and the tequila is “grey.” Grays are gray aliens who, according to reptilian theorists, have some but not all reptilian characteristics.
Tila Tequila has been out of the spotlight since being eliminated from another star’s role in “Love Shot.” Since her reality TV days, she’s apparently suffered a number of scandals and accusations of various forms of misconduct, which has slowly seen her slip into obscurity.
This might not be her
It’s worth noting, Kogan said, that the “shapeshifter” is not well-known and contains details that don’t necessarily match the description of Tila Agave. Still, internet sleuths concluded it could still be Tila Tequila, and Corgan added the fictional details to prevent people from discovering her identity. However, all information about her being a “shapeshifter” is alleged.
AllHipHop reached out to The Strangest Daily via TikTok private message and the PR teams for The Howard Stern Show, Tila Tequila and Billy Corgan via email. We will update this story if they respond.
@thestrangestdaily Celebrity Shapeshifter – Billy Corgan’s Smashing Pumpkins recounted his horrific shapeshifter encounter in a 2018 interview on The Howard Stern Show. #horror #paranormal #fyp #scary #creepy ♬ Original Sound – Weirdest
