Following the heartbreaking news that heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne has died aged 76, a bizarre theory involving online sensation Trisha Paytas has resurfaced.
Black Sabbath frontman Osbourne passed away 'surrounded by love' yesterday (22 July), according to a statement released by his family.
"It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning," the announcement continued. "He was with his family and surrounded by love.
"We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time."
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Just days prior to the British rocker's death, internet personality Trisha Paytas broke the news that she'd welcomed her third child into the world with husband Moses Hacmon.
And now conspiracy theorists are being slammed online for trying to link the two pieces of news with ill-timed jokes.
'Baby theory' explained
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Taking to Instagram on 12 July, 37-year-old Paytas - famed for her lifestyle vlogs and mukbang videos - revealed she'd welcomed a beautiful baby boy, and that they'd named him Aquaman.
(Yep, Aquaman.)
The coincidental timing of the announcements has seemingly reignited a long-standing theory about the star, who always seems to announce a new addition to her family around the same time that a celebrity dies.
As such, it's known by many chronically-online individuals as the 'Trisha Paytas baby reincarnation theory', and many have spoken out to slam tweets about it as inappropriate, with them coming hot on the heels of a tragic loss.
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But when did this whole thing start?
Well, back in 2022, following the death of the Queen of England.
Queen Elizabeth II
On 8 September 2022, Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, aged 96.
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Hours after news broke that the Queen had passed away, YouTube star Paytas announced that she had gone into early labour with her and her husband's first child.
Days later, on 14 September, she revealed that she'd welcomed a daughter, naming the child Malibu Barbie Paytas... we know.
Clocking onto the timing of the infant's birth, a number of social media users conjured up a theory that baby Malibu was actually the late monarch reincarnate.
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Why? Well, because sometimes people simply don't have anything better to do.
"You’re laughing. Queen Elizabeth is about to be reincarnated as Trisha Paytas’ baby and you’re laughing," one X user wrote on the day of the Queen's death.
Anyway, the theory caught like wildfire, prompting a response from Paytas herself.
"The internet is a weird place," she posted on Instagram at the time. "I don’t know how any of those rumours started or why?
"Sorry to the royal family and my baby. Felt weird to say anything at all."
Though the conspiracy theory eventually died down, it reared its ugly head again some years later following false reports on the death of Pope Francis.
Pope Francis or King Charles III
In May 2024, a number of news outlets incorrectly reported that the Head of the Catholic Church had passed away.
(As we now know, Pope Francis would sadly die months later, on 21 April 2025).
It was also around this time that the King Charles had been diagnosed with, and was receiving treatment for, cancer.
Anyway, the false death reports fell around the same time that Paytas announced that she'd given birth to a second child, a daughter named Elvis, with many making the broad leap once again.
Some suggested at the time Elvis was secretly the King (who is still receiving treatment for cancer to this today), whilst others said she was secretly the Pope (who wasn't actually dead at the time).
"Why everytime Trisha Paytas have a baby somebody dies," another X user wrote around the time.
Weighing in on the theory again, Paytas told her fans: "I get the timing is crazy, I get it. I get the meme of it all.
"I was able to lean into the Queen Elizabeth one a little bit, but it also terrifies me that people believe in it enough."
Ozzy Osbourne
As we first mentioned, however, the reincarnation postulation has been pulled out of hiding by internet users for a third time this week, with some joking that Paytas' son Aquaman could actually be much-loved musician Ozzy Osbourne reincarnated.
"Once was a weird, twice was a coincidence but three times???" a third X user chimed in this week.
Thankfully, however, other internet users with their heads screwed on have issued a more urgent warning against the circulation of these distasteful theories, given how recently Osbourne passed away.
"Oh, btw your Trisha Paytas jokes about Ozzy's death aren't funny, and I won't hesitate to block. I'm so serious right now," one fan hit out.
Another claimed: "I'm too upset about Ozzy to find the Trisha Paytas reincarnation jokes funny its just annoying me.
"This is too devastating."
A third went on to point out: "If I see anyone making jokes about Trisha Paytas’ baby being the reincarnation of Ozzy I’m going to lose it here baby was born a week ago."
Topics: Celebrity, Ozzy Osbourne, Social Media, US News, Trisha Paytas
Rhianna Benson