A miracle of miracles, has Trisha Paytas indeed found themself? After trying on hundreds of identities over the past twelve years, Paytas seems to have finally found the slipper that fits.
The momentous and unlikely day appears to have come, and as a long-time follower of Paytas, I’m happy for them. The blonde-haired, self-tan shopaholic has been a YouTuber, model, author, singer, dancer, actress, and social media influencer since 2006. Their presence online has grown exponentially over the years, and they now have over 5 million subscribers on YouTube and 2.21 billion views total.
A former stripper turned social media star, Paytas has allowed the internet to hear about their experiences and witness most of their life, including both the glamorous and ugly moments. A 21st century Cinderella, Paytas seems to have found their prince and embraced their inner princess.
In a life filled with pink, glitter, and drama, Paytas has been making headlines ever since they first made their YouTube channel, blndsundoll4mj. A self-professed troll, drama queen, and sometimes problematic individual, Paytas has had their ups and downs during their time in the spotlight.
Even before their entrance into the social media world, they had a rocky life. Born in Riverside, California, Paytas moved to Freeport, Illinois, shortly after their parents divorced, to live with their mother and siblings. They were diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia disorder at ages 12 and 18 and received no treatment during their childhood. Growing up primarily in Illinois, Paytas moved back to California when they finished high school to pursue acting. Broke and utterly alone, they turned to stripping, escorting, and dating rich older men to support themself.
After a few years of struggling to make it in Hollywood, Paytas turned to YouTube to narrate their life for an audience. Posting comedy skits, vlogs, and more, they quickly rose to fame. Talking about everything from fashion, beauty, religion, politics, dating, body positivity, and more, Paytas became one of the most controversial figures both online and off. They became known for their mukbangs, designer shopping hauls, personal vlogs, crying sessions on their kitchen floor, and cosplaying attempts.
In addition to posting on YouTube, they have also appeared on numerous television shows, including America’s Got Talent, Modern Family, Ellen, Dr. Phil, Celebrity Big Brother, and more. Paytas has also been in several music videos for high-profile musicians, including Amy Winehouse, the All-American Rejects, Eminem, and more.
Paytas also later tried their hand at singing and began to release music. They now have nine albums in total, including their original pop songs and covers of other famous songs. Their music videos for songs including “Fat Chicks,” “I Love You Jesus,” and the remix “I Love You Moses” went viral and nearly broke the internet.
Paytas has shown their inner theatre geek in recent years and began posting covers of show tunes from popular musicals, including Wicked and Hamilton. In 2019, they famously posted a cover of “Shallow” from A Star is Born starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, and the video now has over 5 million views. In their rollercoaster career, Paytas has even penned their thoughts and become an author. As of today, they self-published 11 books ranging from novels, autobiographies, and poetry.
Despite all these accomplishments, as their followers know, Paytas is far from perfect. They have admitted to posting videos just for clickbait, hence why some of their past videos are controversial. Some of their most famous controversies include identifying as a “chicken-nugget,” claiming to be transgender, marrying a cardboard cutout of Brad Pitt, stating “dogs don’t have brains,” claiming that they have disassociative identity disorder, and supporting former President Donald Trump.
After posting about their struggles with mental health, people online claimed that they have diagnosed themselves with mental illnesses (rather than going to a professional) and spread misinformation about mental illnesses. In addition to their problematic rhetoric regarding mental illness, Paytas has also reportedly used the n-word several times and made racist remarks. They have also been under fire for their homophobic comments and their overall view of the LGBTQ+ community.
In addition to these scandals, Paytas is known for feuding with other creators online and being involved in drama. Some of their past relationships that ended severely include former boyfriends Anthony Michael Hall, Roger Bart, Jason Nash, and Sean van der Wilt, and Aaron Carter. Most of, if not all, of these breakups, have resulted in public feuds online and both emotional and physical altercations.
Paytas has also recently begun calling out other creators, including David Dobrik, Shane Dawson, Jeffree Star, Gabbie Hanna, Charlie D’Amelio, James Charles, and more. Their most recent explosive feud was with H3H3’s Ethan Klein (her soon-to-be brother-in-law). Klein and Paytas settled their differences in September 2020. The two launched a podcast together called Frenemies, which has since become incredibly popular.
After 12 years of endless feuds, internet drama, battles with drug abuse, and a few failed relationships, it seems like Trisha Paytas has finally found their way and, consequently, has become more confident in themself. A self-identified fat girl, for years Paytas would post about the numerous diets she would try to lose weight. They finally seem to love their body as it is and no longer promotes losing weight to be happy.
As of 2021, they are in therapy and learning to cope with their bipolar disorder. They also claim that they no longer consider themself a troll and don’t seem to worry as much about their image any more. Paytas became engaged to Moses Hacmon, an Israeli artist and social media figure, in 2020. They are currently planning three weddings: one in LA, one in Israel, and one in Maui. They seem to be living their best life these days. They’re currently obsessed with Adam Sandler and posts regularly dressed as him. Paytas and Hacmon recently purchased a beautiful new house in California, and Paytas has gained 5.9 million followers on TikTok.
After hearing of Paytas in 2010, I have followed them repeatedly and watching them grow personally and professionally has been an exciting journey. I even went to see their concert in Jersey City in 2018, and it was the most surreal experience of my life. Paytas performed, sang some songs, did a mukbang, and Q&A session with the audience. Don’t get me wrong, in no way do I condone their past actions. However, I am proud of their progress as a creator and human being, and I hope they will continue to work on being anti-racist and an ally for the LGBTQ+ community.
I also hope that they will continue to educate themself and embrace their true identity. Paytas is far from perfect, but I relate to them because they embrace their imperfections proudly and loudly.