Trisha Paytas shuts down wild theory that her unborn child is Pope Francis reincarnated: 'I don't get it'

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: The internet is dabbling in a bizarre pop culture conspiracy theory that Trisha Paytas' unborn baby is the reincarnation of Pope Francis.

On the April 22 episode of her 'Just Trish' podcast, the viral YouTuber and internet mainstay addressed the wild rumor swirling online that comes right after the pope's death on April 21 at the age of 88.

Trisha Paytas responds to viral theory 

“I just don’t get it,” Trisha said, clearly baffled.

“First of all, I’m months away from my due date, not even close this time. He’s not in the British monarch[y]. Is it just any influential person that dies gets to come reincarnated as my baby?”

For context, Pope Francis, leader of the Catholic Church since 2013, died from a cerebral stroke that led to a coma and “irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse,” according to the Vatican.

His death instantly sparked bizarre commentary online, particularly among those who remember the viral frenzy back in 2022, when some jokingly speculated that Queen Elizabeth II’s soul had been reborn in Trisha’s first child.

Now, history seems to be repeating itself.

Trisha, who is expecting her second child with husband Moses Hacmon in July, tried to make sense of the pattern.

“That one I don’t get,” she admitted. “If King Charles [III] died, I’d be like, ‘OK.’ The Pope is kind of far removed from Queen Elizabeth [II]. I don’t understand why my womb is carrying all of these souls.”

Her co-host Oscar Gracey tried to clarify the odd logic behind the recurring theory: “It centers on a ‘historic person of power’ who dies around the time of Trisha’s pregnancy, and people kind of associate the two.”

To which Trisha, ever the curious soul, asked, “So my baby is going to absorb it?” She then noted the strange coincidence: “Francis died at age 88, which happens to be my favorite number.”

Trisha Paytas jokes about naming her baby 'Pope Francis'

Despite the confusion, Trisha leaned into the absurdity with her signature wit.

While the couple has yet to reveal the sex of their baby, Oscar joked, “If it’s a boy, they couldn’t beat the ‘baby Pope allegations.’”

Trisha rolled with it, saying, “If it’s a boy, I guess so. I guess we’re naming it … Pope is not a bad name. Technically, there’s girls named Francis, too. So we could have a girl [named] Pope Francis. My dad’s name is Francis, so. I’ll take the Pope, I guess. I guess that’s better than Charles.”

She didn’t stop there. She noted, “I just don’t know how that happens. Like, how is that actually going into my … how do I actually absorb it? I guess I’ve been manifesting that. Gosh, I’m so powerful.”

Moses Hacmon chimed in with a spiritual twist, stating that reincarnation has a specific window, “exactly 49 days," for it to occur.

But Trisha’s due date falls outside of that. “Sorry y’all. I wish the Pope could have hung in there a little longer,” she joked.

“Well, maybe I’ll go into labor early. We’ll see. Please no. … I’ll let you know if I start feeling a little holier.”