One of the Wildest Episodes of ‘Wife Swap’ Was Filmed in Colorado

If you've ever watched the TV show 'Wife Swap,' you're likely already familiar with the series' bizarre premise. However, one of the most bizarre episodes of the show was filmed in Colorado and featured a family that would make headlines for an even stranger stunt after appearing on TV.

Bizarre Episode of 'Wife Swap' Was Filmed in Colorado

In case you're not familiar, the reality show 'Wife Swap' takes two vastly different and often eccentric families and swaps out the wives for a couple of weeks, sometimes resulting in entertainment but more often producing cringe-worthy programming.

Read More: BTS: A Rare Look at a Classic Movie Scene Filmed in Colorado |

Back in 2008, the Heene family of Fort Collins, Colorado participated in a wife swap while simultaneously exposing viewers to the eccentric patriarch of the bunch, Richard.

Richard's obsession with weather, magnetic fields, and gravity was so extreme that the entire family often had to stop what they were doing, even if the three kids were in school, to go out into the country and chase any potential storm.

As you can imagine, the woman who swapped places with Mrs. Heene was not only taken aback by the family's bizarre habits but appeared to be, understandably, extremely uncomfortable.

Get our free mobile app

However, an event that took place roughly a year later would bring much more infamy to Richard and the entire Heene family.

Colorado Wife Swap Family Makes Headlines

After the episode aired, it appeared that Richard Heene wasn't through with his 15 minutes of fame and staged a stunt that would land him in some serious trouble.

News outlets across Colorado reported a shocking story in 2009, claiming that one of the Heenes' sons was launched into the sky in a balloon, prompting emergency services to rush to his aide in an effort to save his life.

However, it would later be revealed that Richard staged the entire thing and that his son was, in reality, safe and sound in the family's home.

Understandably, not only did Richard receive legal punishment for his actions, but he also now has a permanent place in the most infamous section of Colorado's history books.