Explained: What is the Zendaya ‘hat’ theory and is it even real?

TikTok has a new obsession, and it’s got everything: Mystery, creepypasta energy, and Zendaya in a hat. The Zendaya hat theory is the internet’s latest bizarre inside joke — and now it’s somehow gotten even funnier after she wore another massive hat at the Met Gala last night.

Yep, Zendaya stepped out looking flawless as always, but it was the return of the hat that set TikTok on fire again. Now, under every photo of her on the red carpet, people are flooding the comments with: “Zendaya hat theory,” “it’s happening again,” and “she knows.”

So, what exactly is the Zendaya ‘hat’ theory?

Well, it all began with a video posted last week by TikToker @thesnakesbloxx. It shows Zendaya dodging a question about her favourite Beyoncé song, followed by a low-res image of her in a huge black hat from the 2014 Teen Vogue Young Hollywood Party, all set to haunting music. It doesn’t explain anything, but it feels like it should — which makes it weirdly unsettling.

@thesnakesbloxx

Mama hat #zendaya #hat #meme #fyp #zendayaglitch #ethelcain

♬ Perverts – Ethel Cain

And from there, chaos. The video blew up, and soon TikTok was full of glitchy, eerie edits of Zendaya in the hat, with users pretending there’s a sinister theory behind it all. Some claim she’s “gone missing,” others treat the hat like it’s cursed. It’s all fake, of course, but it feels like a parody of every TikTok true crime theory you’ve ever seen.

So, is the Zendaya ‘hat’ theory real?

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Umm… No. The meme works because it plays on how easily people online will chase meaningless “clues” and act like they’ve uncovered a major conspiracy. There’s no real theory. No creepy backstory. It’s literally just Zendaya in a nice hat. But the internet has decided to pretend it means something terrifying, and that’s what makes it so good.

via Instagram

Now that she’s brought the hat back at the Met Gala, the joke has officially reached new levels. Comments are flooding in across TikTok and Instagram: “The prophecy is real,” “the hat has returned,” “this confirms it.”

Is Zendaya in on it, playing along, or is the hat controlling all of us?

No one knows. But whatever the answer is — don’t forget your big hat.

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Featured image via JUSTIN LANE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock