Kelly Rowland, AJ McLean gush about favorite Liam Payne memories
Destiny’s Child star Kelly Rowland and the Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean called Liam Payne “a joy” on “Building the Band,” filmed weeks before his death.
If you’ve been on the internet long enough, you may have stumbled down a rabbit hole or two.
It’s not unimaginable for a wild conspiracy theory to rise from the depths of Reddit to the mainstream algorithm. But none is perhaps more salient (or bizarre) than the Trisha Paytas Baby Theory, an idea that somehow combines the monarchy, mukbangs and a child named Malibu Barbie.
Paytas, 37, a longtime internet star known for her outlandish sense of humor and seemingly rail-thin grasp on reality, welcomed a third child this month: Aquaman Moses Paytas‑Hacmon, with husband Moses Hacmon. Curiously, it wasn’t the superhero-inspired name that drummed up internet fervor, but rather the timing of the birth.
Aquaman was born shortly before the death of famed rocker Ozzy Osbourne, an instance that notches nicely into Trisha Paytas Baby Theory (trademark pending), a half-serious idea that each time the meme queen gives birth, a notable world leader dies.
The idea first picked up steam when Paytas’ first child, Malibu Barbie, was born just hours after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, leading to fan theories that the baby was a reincarnated version of the deceased monarch.
When Paytas announced she was expecting a second child in 2024, rumors instantly began to swirl around who might be the next big name to fall ahead of the birth (President Donald Trump was a popular guess). Much to the disappointment of eager theorists, Paytas’ second child, Elvis, was born with no one to reincarnate in May of 2024.
Aquaman is another story, though. That his birth came in such proximity to Osbourne’s death was all the fuel fans of the theory needed. She also announced the baby’s name, Tuesday, July 22, the same day as the Black Sabbath musician’s death.
Paytas diehards were quick to link the two, flooding the internet with wisecracks about her third child once again carrying the soul of a prominent cultural icon. No stranger to wild internet rumors, some of which she has concocted herself, Paytas remains dubious about the theory.
“I don’t know how my womb is carrying all these souls,” she joked on an April 22 episode of her podcast, “Just Trish.”
