Trisha Paytas

Trisha Paytas (; born May 8, 1988) is an American media personality, actress, singer, and YouTuber. She is known for her multifaceted career on YouTube, marked by numerous online controversies and feuds. Her content spans numerous genres, including lifestyle vlogs and mukbangs.

As a podcaster, Paytas co-hosted the popular but short-lived podcast Frenemies (2020–2021) with Ethan Klein and later launched her own show, Just Trish (2023–present). Additionally, she has independently released several albums and singles and appeared in various screen roles, music videos, and stage productions.

Early life Paytas was born on May 8, 1988, to parents Frank and Lenna Paytas in Riverside, California, before moving to Freeport, Illinois, at age 3 after her parents divorced. She has two siblings: an older brother and a younger maternal half-sister. At age 15, Paytas moved back to California to live with her father and was enrolled in a Catholic online school program.

Career 2006–2012: Beginnings in acting and YouTube After moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting, Paytas began doing professional lingerie modeling and worked as a stripper and an escort to support herself. She was featured on various television shows, attempting and failing to break the fastest-talker record on Guinness World Records Unleashed with 710 words in 54 seconds, and appearing on The Greg Behrendt Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and Who Wants to Be a Superhero?.

Paytas registered her YouTube channel in 2007. among others. Paytas appeared in several music videos by various artists including Eminem, Amy Winehouse, and The All-American Rejects.

2013–2017: Online success and music releases From 2013 to 2017, Paytas made a number of trolling videos, which she told Business Insider were a way to "dumb [her]self down" in order to get more attention and views. This involved videos claiming that dogs do not have brains, or that she was voting for the 2012 Republican candidate for President of the United States, Mitt Romney. In 2014, Paytas began posting widely viewed mukbang sessions and eating-challenge videos.

In 2015, the video for her song, "Fat Chicks" was featured on websites such as Cosmopolitan, The Huffington Post, and Business Insider.

In 2017, Paytas became a housemate on Celebrity Big Brother 20. She left the show after 11 days of participation, and proceeded to make disparaging comments about fellow participants, including accusations of drug use.

2018–2022: Concert tour, Frenemies, Sadboy2005 band, and OnlyFans In 2019, Paytas embarked on her own headlining tour, The Heartbreak Tour, to promote her music.

In September 2020, Paytas began co-hosting the podcast Frenemies with h3h3Productions creator Ethan Klein. The show, which featured the two discussing pop culture and their often-conflicting opinions, became an immediate success, frequently described as one of the most popular podcasts on YouTube during its run.

On June 8, 2021, after 41 episodes, Paytas announced she was leaving the show following an on-air dispute with Klein regarding production and creative ownership. Her abrupt departure effectively ended the podcast and led to a prolonged and highly public feud, with both Paytas and Klein exchanging accusations on social media and in subsequent videos. In the aftermath, a private text message exchange between Paytas and Klein was posted on social media, leading to accusations against Paytas of antisemitism, for which she later apologized.

Also in 2021, Paytas formed and fronted the emo pop/pop-punk band, Sadboy2005, that featured Social Repose. The band released an eponymous debut EP album the same year, followed by the EP album "Trigger Warning" in 2021. It also has released five music videos.

In 2021, Paytas began making content on OnlyFans, a subscription service site.

2023–present: Just Trish Podcast, The Eras of Trish Tour and acting In May 2023, Paytas and internet comedian Colleen Ballinger began co-hosting their podcast, Oversharing with Colleen & Trish. On July 9, 2023, after only three episodes, Paytas announced the podcast had been cancelled amidst grooming allegations brought against Ballinger, and the surfacing of leaked messages in which Ballinger sent videos from Paytas's OnlyFans to fans making fun of her. Paytas said she reached out to Ballinger about the allegations and she denied them.

In July, Paytas began hosting her second podcast titled Just Trish Podcast. Co-hosted by Oscar Gracey, the podcast sees Paytas commenting on current pop culture topics. Originally planned as a weekly series, Just Trish gained significant YouTube viewership, which inspired Paytas to publish two episodes a week and invite various guests to talk on the podcast. The August 2023 episode featuring Tana Mongeau was the first episode of Just Trish to reach over one million viewers of YouTube. As of August 2025, Just Trish attracted a total of approximately 145 million YouTube views through across 200 episodes, making it one of the most successful projects of Paytas's career.

In 2024, Paytas signed with the Creative Artists Agency (CAA) as her talent agent. On December 7, 2024, Paytas made a surprise guest appearance on an episode of Saturday Night Live hosted by Paul Mescal. She appeared as herself in a sketch that parodied the annual Spotify Wrapped feature. Shortly after, on December 10, 2024, she starred in a live holiday show at the Beacon Theater titled Trisha Paytas: Trishmas Live.

In February 2025, Paytas starred in Trisha Paytas' Big Broadway Dream, a one-night benefit show at the St. James Theater, featuring performances from Sutton Foster, Ben Platt, Joy Woods, and Rachel Zegler.

That year, Paytas embarked on her first-ever North American tour, titled The Eras of Trish Tour. The tour ran from February to June and spanned over 30 cities across the United States and Canada. The show was described as a live, multimedia retrospective celebrating the various "eras" of her long and varied internet career. The performances included live singing, costume changes, and video montages of her most viral moments, from her early YouTube videos and music to her mukbangs and podcasting career. Reviews noted the highly engaged and enthusiastic reception from her fanbase, describing the show as a mix of musical numbers, personal anecdotes, and comedy. Later that month, it was announced that Paytas would appear in season three of the HBO teen drama series Euphoria.

In January 2026, Paytas announced she was seeking to run for the House of Representatives in California for the 2026 election. She resides in California's 26th congressional district and it is unknown which party she will be running under.

On March 30, MGM Resorts International announced the Trisha Paytas & Tana Mongeau: Viva Las Vegas live show would be coming to The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas hotel in June.

Personal life Paytas dated American YouTuber Jason Nash from 2017 to 2019. Despite previously being told by doctors that she would not be able to conceive a child naturally, Paytas gave birth to she and Hacmon's first child, a daughter. She gave birth to her second daughter in 2023. In 2025, she and Hacmon welcomed their third child, a son.

Paytas has identified with different religious beliefs throughout her life, mainly Roman Catholicism.

Paytas has stated that she became addicted to cocaine from the ages of 18–20, while working as a stripper. Paytas was introduced to methamphetamine in 2019 by two men she dated months apart, both of whom later passed away one month apart in 2022. In an interview with Ethan Klein, Paytas stated she was later hospitalized for a methamphetamine overdose. Paytas has stated that her main addiction was to prescription pills. When she met her future husband, Moses, she was using xanax, but later quit.

In October 2019, Paytas received criticism for coming out as a trans man online, due to having previously identified as a chicken nugget, ostensibly in a facetious manner. In a March 2021 interview with Vulture, she clarified that she identifies as nonbinary, and said that when she came out as transgender in 2019, she "didn't have the vocabulary to describe it at the time". In April 2021, Paytas released a video on her main YouTube channel, in which she discussed her previous gender confusion and reaffirmed her non-binary identity. She has since preferred to use the gender pronouns she/her and they/them.

Reincarnation meme Paytas's pregnancies and births have been the subject of a recurring internet meme which suggests her children are the reincarnations of prominent public figures who died around the time of their births. The phenomenon began in September 2022, when the birth of her first daughter occurred days after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, sparking viral jokes about the connection.

The meme continued and evolved with her subsequent pregnancies. Following King Charles III's cancer diagnosis in February 2024, social media users humorously predicted he would be reincarnated as her second child. The theory resurfaced again in April 2025 after the death of Pope Francis, with new memes suggesting he would be reincarnated as her then-unborn third child. This expansion of the joke beyond the British monarchy prompted Paytas to address it on her podcast, asking, "Is it just any influential person that dies gets to come reincarnated as my baby?". The meme culminated in July 2025, when musician Ozzy Osbourne died on the same day that Paytas, in her first podcast episode since giving birth to her third child, officially announced her son's name. She has cited the Olsen Twins (from their appearance on Full House) and Playboy models as catalysts in her early desire for fame, and Quentin Tarantino as her reason for moving to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career.

Filmography

Film YearTitleRoleNotes 2008 Yes Man Convention Goer 2010 Faster Stripper 2011 To.get.her Fantasy Girl Sex, Drugs and Randy Van Stone Sex Tape Girl Geezas Bored Blonde 2012 Wanderlust Davidson's Wife 2013 The Incredible Burt Wonderstone Stunt Double Water & Power Stripper Lola's Love Shack Deluxe 2014 Viral Video Herself Short 2015 Viral Video 2 Herself Short 2016 It Gets Worse Herself Short

Television YearTitleRoleNotes 2006 Character Fantasy Sexy Ninja Episode: "Polyanna: Catherine Zeta-Jones" The Greg Behrendt Show Herself/Correspondent Recurring Correspondent 2007 Who Wants to Be a Superhero? Herself/Ms. Limelight Contestant: Season 2 2008 The Price Is Right Herself Episode: "Episode #36.66" 2010 My Strange Addiction Herself Episode: "Pilot" Supreme Court of Comedy Herself Episode: "Kevin Nealon vs. Jamie Kennedy" Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! Eric's Date Episode: "Lucky" The Ultimate Man Tracy Recurring Cast 2011 Ellen Herself/Speed Reader Episode: "Episode #8.99" The Car Show Modified Girl Episode: "Blast from the Past and Look Into the Future" Who Wants To Date A Comedian? Herself Episode: "Greg Wilson" Conan Football Player Episode: "Return to Devil's Condo" Judge Alex Herself Episode: "Metz vs Paytas" The Millionaire Matchmaker Herself Episode: "The Young and the Loveless" Modern Family Plastic Surgery Girl Episode: "Go Bullfrogs!" Shane Dawson TV Stripper Episode: "The One That Got Away *Spoof* Katy Perry" 2012 1000 Ways To Die Former Hooters Waitress Episode: "Die-Abestic" America's Got Talent Herself/Contestant Contestant: Season 7 2013 Nathan For You Herself Episode: "Clothing Store/Restaurant" Walk of Shame Sally Episode: "When Harry Held Sally" Family Tree Extreme Character Episode: "The Box" Double Divas Herself Episode: "Rhythm and Boobs" Today Herself/Weather Girl Episode: "November 7, 2013" Good Morning America Herself/Commentator Episode: "November 7, 2013" Guinness World Records Gone Wild Herself/Speed Reader Episode: "Bungee Breakfast" 2014 Ridiculousness Herself Episode: "Stevie Ryan" Celebrity Name Game Herself/Contestant Episode: "Mena Suvari & Joely Fisher" Dirty Mind Challenge Herself Episode: "Trisha Paytas Has a Dirty Mind" 2016 To Tell The Truth Herself/Contestant Episode: "Brooks Wheelan" 2017 Celebrity Big Brother UK Herself/Contestant Contestant: Series 20 2018 Shane Herself Recurring Cast: Season 2 2019 David's Vlog Herself Recurring Cast: Season 5 The Reality House Herself Episode: "Last YouTuber To Leave The Reality House, Wins $25,000 Part 1 & 2" Blood Queens Marmee Trish Episode: "Little Women" 2024 Saturday Night Live Season 50 Herself/Spotify Wrapped Host Episode: "Paul Mescal/Shaboozey"; Uncredited 2025 Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen Herself/Bartender Episode: "Gina Kirschenheiter & Chrishell Stause" 2026 Euphoria Video Podcast Host #3 Episode: "This Little Piggy" Hacks Trisha Recurring Cast: Season 5

Music videos YearTitleArtistRole 2007 Tears Dry on Their Own Amy Winehouse Streetwalker 2009 We Made You Eminem Jessica Simpson 2010 Playing the Part Jamey Johnson Bimbo #3 2011 Sleepless in Silverlake Les Savy Fav Marilyn Monroe Offer True Love Uncle RickyExtra 2012 Beekeeper's Daughter The All-American Rejects 2024 Woman's World Katy Perry Monster Truck Diva

Documentary Year Title 2017 This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous 2024 Feed Me

Discography All song credits adapted from Spotify and Apple Music.

As lead artist

Singles

Extended plays TitleDetailsPostpartum Popstar Released: February 14, 2025 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streamingRebirth Released: November 27, 2019 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streamingSongs From My Kitchen Floor Released: August 8, 2019 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streamingChicken Parm and Heartbreak Released: November 8, 2018 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streamingChicken Fingers and Lipo Released: April 24, 2017 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streamingWarrior Released: December 30, 2016 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streamingShowtime Released: September 6, 2016 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streamingSuperficial Bitch Released: June 29, 2015 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streamingFat Chicks Released: March 6, 2015 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streaming

Studio albums TitleDetailsUnder the Covers Released: August 12, 2015 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download, streaming

As featured artist

Singles

Published works

Paytas, Trisha. The History of My Insanity CreateSpace, 2013. Paytas, Trisha. Tease CreateSpace, 2014. Paytas, Trisha. Curvy and Loving it CreateSpace, 2014. Paytas, Trisha. Trisha's 31 Nights of Fright CreateSpace, 2014. Paytas, Trisha. 101 Poems About My Ex-Boyfriend Independent, 2019. Paytas, Trisha. Crying on the Kitchen Floor: A Memoir, 2026