Fact check: Is IShowSpeed having a baby? Truth behind Viral livestream claim about daughter and quitting YouTube (Image via Getty)
IShowSpeed left fans confused this week after talking about having a baby and quitting YouTube. Many people believed him at first. But the truth is simple. He was joking. The whole moment was part of an April Fool’s Day prank on April 1, 2026. During a 13-minute livestream, Darren Watkins Jr, who is known as IShowSpeed, held what looked like a baby and spoke very seriously. He told viewers he had become a father and wanted to delete his YouTube channel, which has more than 51.8 million subscribers. His tone made it sound real, and fans quickly started reacting online.But near the end of the stream, everything changed. He dropped the “baby,” which turned out to be a doll, and revealed the truth. It was all a prank. No baby. No goodbye. Just a joke for April Fool’s Day.
IShowSpeed shocks fans with fake baby story and YouTube exit claim during April Fool’s livestream
In the livestream, Darren Watkins Jr spoke in an emotional tone that made many people believe him. He said,“I’m about to delete my YouTube channel, bro. Y’all think I’m playing, bro? I’m sorry, chat, but I can’t do this st no more, bro. I never told y’all this st. I never told y’all, bro. I never told y’all, but, chat, eight months ago, I got a girl pregnant, bro. I got a girl pregnant eight months ago. Yeah. I got a girl pregnant eight months ago, and I had a baby. I had a baby, and I had a daughter.”
He continued by talking about wanting to grow up and become a father. He said,“I feel like I’ve done everything, chat. Like, I want to start a family. I want to be a dad. You know? Chat, I want to be a dad. I want to start a family. I want to take these in. Chat, don’t you feel like sometimes in life, it’s time for a change? You know, chat, I feel like sometimes in life… it’s time for me to grow up.” Because of how serious he sounded, many fans thought this was real news.IShowSpeed reveals prank while Slipz and WWE moment add to April Fool’s chaosAt around the 13-minute mark, Darren Watkins Jr suddenly dropped the baby doll and said, “April Fools! Green apples!” That one moment cleared everything. The baby story was fake. The channel was not getting deleted. It was all planned as a prank.At the same time, his cameraman and friend Slipz also joined the fun. On X, Slipz posted a message saying he was leaving the team. He thanked fans and wrote about his journey, making it sound emotional and final. But this, too, was part of the April Fool’s jokes.Away from the prank, IShowSpeed has also been in the news for something real. Recently, he accidentally helped The Vision win the WWE World Tag Team Championship during Monday Night RAW. That moment added to his growing presence outside YouTube as well.
