For many, this year’s April Fools’ Day was a welcome distraction from the constant flood of news surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. So, we’ve decided to continue tuning out from the real world a little while longer and unearth some of the best April Fools’ Day pranks of all time — as pulled off by some of our favorite celebrities.
Below you’ll find a selection of hilarious pranks, from this year’s Public Enemy stunt and Lil Nas X’s recent “I was never gay” tweet to Rihanna’s “Bitch Better Have My Money” wake-up call, and Kim Kardashian’s fake death. Enjoy!
Lil Nas X
After coming out in 2019, this year Lil Nas X tried convincing fans that he was never really gay at all. He even went so far as to ask his followers “where the hoes at” before concluding, “ok I’m gay again.”
Public Enemy
Public Enemy pretended to fire Flavor Flav in March of 2020 after he failed to endorse Bernie Sanders. The elaborate prank went on for weeks, all in promotion of a new track and a new album.
Eminem
Eminem pranked LL Cool J in 2008 when he called into Shade 45 radio and posed as a fan. Acting as “Jason from Miami,” Em participated in a game of “Name That Tune” where he recited LL lyrics and LL then guessed which one of his songs it was. After receiving props from the Queens rapper, Eminem revealed himself by rapping “Lose Yourself.”
Drake
Drake participated in a sketch for Jimmy Kimmel Live! back in 2014 where he disguised himself and hit the streets to ask fans about himself. To no surprise, what ensued was absolutely hilarious.
Rihanna
Rihanna set her sights on Jimmy Kimmel in 2015 as she “broke into” his house at 1 a.m. and woke him up by blasting “Bitch Better Have My Money,” throwing cash at him, and dancing on the bed. We can certainly think of worse ways to be woken up in the middle of the night.
The Game
In one of the more serious April Fools’ stunts of all time, The Game tweeted the phone number to the Compton Sheriff’s Station in 2011 and told his followers it was the number to call for an internship. As a result, the station’s line was tied up due to incoming calls, ultimately delaying emergency services. This one didn’t end well for the Compton rapper as he was hit with an obstructing justice charge.
Redman and Method Man
In the early 2000s, Redman and Method Man teamed up with MTV for a prank show called Stung. One of their victims was Ludacris, as they invited him to the studio to rap over a terrible instrumental.
Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian pranked Kanye West in rather morbid fashion in 2019 when their kids North and Saint made her look dead by spreading ketchup all over her body and then cried and yelled “mommy’s dead.” “Kanye ran upstairs and he was like, ‘Kids, this is not funny. This is not a good prank,’” Kim told Elle.
Seth Rogen
Netflix teamed up with Seth Rogen in 2018 to promote his Los Angeles fundraiser for Alzheimer’s, Seth Rogen’s Hilarity for Charity. The gag was that Netflix acquired the rights to Rogen’s life, dreams and all.
Justin and Hailey Bieber
In April 2019, Justin Bieber shared a fake pregnancy announcement on social media, suggesting he was having a baby with wife Hailey Baldwin. This of course sent the internet into a frenzy, as Bieber followed up his initial ultrasound photo with pictures of Hailey in the doctor’s office. Shortly thereafter, he admitted it was a joke, and he was then forced to apologize for the insensitive prank.
Maisie Williams
Maisie Williams did the unthinkable in 2019 and dropped a massive Game of Thrones spoiler. When appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the GoT star fooled the audience by “accidentally” revealing a crucial death while describing the final season of the hit HBO show.