“We’re expecting—both of us.”
It was the kind of announcement designed to stop thumbs mid-scroll. Nick Yardy, a 29-year-old YouTuber known for his chaotic online persona, told his 3.4 million followers that he had impregnated both his 22-year-old girlfriend Jade and her 44-year-old mother, Dani.
It wasn’t just a throwaway comment or a passing joke. It came complete with staged ultrasounds, sponge pregnancy bellies, and a pastel-coloured joint gender reveal party. It was, for a short while, the internet’s most scandalous family saga.
But as it turns out, there were no babies. No due dates. No double prams in the hallway. The entire thing was a hoax—one meticulously planned and performed for views, clicks, and ad revenue.
“There are no babies,” Yardy later admitted in an interview with the Daily Mail. “It’s just, like, a skit.” But while the pregnancies were fake, Yardy maintains that the relationship between himself, Jade, and Dani is completely genuine.
Their three-way partnership, he claims, is no mere publicity stunt. It’s a lifestyle. They live together, share a bed, and split their finances. They describe themselves as a common-law marriage, despite the obvious legal and moral complexities involved.
When Nick and Jade hit a rough patch in their relationship nearly two years ago, they turned to Dani—Jade’s mother and a life coach—for support. It was Dani who first suggested introducing a third party into the relationship, supposedly to help the couple reconnect. What followed was a decision that none of them expected: Dani became that third person.
“We didn’t plan for this to happen,” Yardy said. “But once it did, it felt right.”
Unconventional by almost any standard, their arrangement has drawn fierce criticism online. Many have questioned whether Jade and Dani are really related. Others have called the situation disturbing, manipulative, or even exploitative. Yardy insists that all three are consenting adults making a free and informed choice.
“They are mother and daughter,” he said. “And our involvement is real.”
Still, the fake pregnancy pushed even Yardy’s loyal fan base to the edge. What was first taken as shocking news gradually began to unravel as viewers noticed inconsistencies in the story. The gender reveal party looked overly staged. The ultrasound images resembled stock photos. And both women appeared to be wearing visibly artificial pregnancy bumps.
Eventually, the trio came clean. The entire story had been engineered to go viral. Jade, who also works as an adult content creator, said she came up with the idea after finding two sponge bellies left over from a previous skit. They thought it would be funny—and profitable.
Yardy has no illusions about why the story caught fire.
“Pregnancy, food, animals—those things always go viral,” he said. “We knew exactly what we were doing.”
That knowledge, however, hasn’t insulated him from criticism. Many called the stunt tasteless. Others accused him of mocking the experiences of couples who genuinely struggle with infertility. One viral comment read, “People go through real trauma trying to conceive, and this is what you think is entertaining?”
Mental health professionals have also weighed in, with some warning that such attention-seeking stunts may reflect deeper emotional needs or imbalances. Others have raised concerns about the power dynamics within the relationship, particularly given the blurred roles of mother, daughter, and romantic partner.
Relationship therapist Dr Caroline West told us that while polyamorous relationships can be healthy and consensual, situations involving close family members carry a significant emotional risk.
“Everyone involved may be legally an adult,” she said, “but that doesn’t automatically make it a psychologically safe or advisable arrangement.”
Despite the criticism, Yardy insists he has no regrets.
“We’re not hurting anyone,” he said. “We’re just doing what works for us. People can judge all they want.”
According to the trio, they maintain strict boundaries within their relationship. While they share a bed and live together, their sexual relationships are kept separate. They say they operate as a team, offering mutual support, emotional connection, and stability.
But as the outrage simmers down, some are beginning to wonder what this story says about the state of internet fame itself. In an attention economy where controversy equals currency, how far is too far?
The fake pregnancy may have started as a prank, but it became a viral case study in the commodification of shock. For Yardy, every headline, angry comment, or moral condemnation was part of the plan. Whether you’re laughing or fuming, you’re still watching—and that’s the goal.
“This went so viral, we almost want to try for real next time,” Yardy said.
It’s hard to tell whether he’s joking.
For now, the trio seem content to ride the wave of internet infamy. They continue to post videos, share updates, and defend their lifestyle to anyone willing to listen. The line between real and performative, between family and fantasy, continues to blur.
In the end, perhaps that’s the real story here: not the pregnancies that never were, but the lengths to which people will go to be seen, believed, and remembered.
As Yardy put it, “We’re not pretending to be perfect. We’re just being real—in our own way.”
In today’s media landscape, real may be the most relative word of all.
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