Trisha Paytas via YouTube
Controversial YouTuber Trisha Paytas, who faced online criticism after announcing they were pregnant, has responded to comments accusing them of faking their pregnancy.
Paytas, who uses "they" and "them" pronouns, revealed on February 14 in a YouTube video that they were in "disbelief" to find out they were pregnant, after experiencing prior infertility issues.
While many of Paytas' fans were quick to show support by writing positive comments underneath the video, others were critical of Paytas, who has a long history of controversy, and has self-described as a "troll." Some people accused Paytas of fabricating their pregnancy for views and sympathy.
On February 21, Paytas began a livestream on their YouTube channel, which they titled, "people hating on my pregnancy?!" During the video, Paytas answered a number of questions from viewers regarding their pregnancy and spoke about the online response to the announcement.
"How can you hate on an unborn baby?" they said. "It's like, some really disgusting things." They went on to say that they'd seen a number of comments accusing them of faking their pregnancy, adding, "People are so vile."
Paytas then referenced online theories about "Selling Sunset" star Christine Quinn faking their pregnancy, which BuzzFeed reported she denied in an Instagram story, and similar unfounded claims that Beyoncé's first pregnancy was fake, which the singer called "crazy" in an interview with People magazine, Billboard reported.
"What is people's problem?" Paytas said. "Why are you so affected by my womb?"
Paytas went on to say they believed the negative comments came from people who "wish misery" on them, or were due to jealousy, saying, "They just can't stand to see other people happy because they're so miserable with their own lives."
Paytas, whose main YouTube channel has almost 5 million subscribers, has been a controversial figure on YouTube for several years, becoming involved in online feuds with prominent content creators like David Dobrik, Charli D'Amelio, and Ethan Klein, owner of the h3h3productions YouTube channel, who is also the brother-in-law of Paytas' husband, Moses Hacmon.
They have also come under intense scrutiny for making controversial statements online, such as claiming to identify as a "chicken nugget."
The influencer said in their pregnancy announcement video that doctors told them they would require IVF to conceive, and that news of their pregnancy gave them a "sense of purpose."
They added that their dream of being pregnant began to come true after they started to "visualize" their own pregnancy as part of a spiritual journey.
For more stories like this, check out coverage from Insider's Digital Culture team here.
