The “Zendaya Theory” is a surreal meme trend built around a photo of Zendaya wearing an oversized Armani hat at a 2014 Teen Vogue event. After a viral TikTok by @thesnakesbloxx set the image to eerie music, the internet spiraled into a parody Creepypasta mystery, spawning edits that imply Zendaya disappeared or that the hat has supernatural powers. While there’s no real theory behind it, the meme thrives on ambiguity, fueling endless engagement across TikTok. When Zendaya wore another big hat to the 2025 MET Gala, the meme reignited—leaving fans wondering if she’s just having fun or playing into the conspiracy.
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00:00Everything about Zendaya changed from the moment she wore this hat.
00:04What happened to Zendaya after she put on this big Armani hat?
00:08Meme lovers have uncovered an old photo of Zendaya wearing an oversized hat,
00:12and now they're talking about a sinister theory tied to it.
00:15But what is the Zendaya theory?
00:17Is that like, that's like an impossible question, I think.
00:21It's Beyonce?
00:23Zendaya wore the big hat in September 2014,
00:26when she attended the Teen Vogue Young Hollywood Party.
00:28The hat, designed by Emporio Armani,
00:31turned heads when photographs of her appearance at the event went viral,
00:34quickly inspiring a lot of memes and reactions online.
00:37Zendaya spoke about the hat during a Vogue interview in 2024,
00:40where she acknowledged its presence in me.
00:42This is a controversial look.
00:44I still see memes about this particular look with my hat.
00:48But you know what? I stick by it.
00:50The hat really took off as a meme in May 2025,
00:53when TikToker TheSnakesBlocks posted a bizarre edit
00:56that begins with a clip of Zendaya refusing to pick a favorite Beyonce song,
01:00then cuts to several low-res images of Zendaya in the hat.
01:03The video is set to an eerie droning sound
01:05that gives it a much more sinister undertone than necessary.
01:08The popularity of the video inspired the TikToker to post
01:17even more creepy videos of Zendaya in her big hat,
01:20most referring to a nondescript Zendaya theory.
01:23Soon enough, other TikTokers started posting similar edits about the Zendaya theory,
01:27each one using a photo of Zendaya in the big hat.
01:29Among those videos are a series of missing persons posters
01:32claiming that Zendaya disappeared and that it's somehow related to the hat?
01:36This quickly got people wondering what exactly the Zendaya theory is,
01:43as each video seemed to make it more vague and confusing.
01:46Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a solid Zendaya theory.
01:49Or that Tom Holland was actually inside of the hat.
01:52What if inside the hat is...
01:55Take a jari.
01:57Lady the hat is hiding her eyebrow, slit and protecting her,
02:01and her you cupcake...
02:02Heart spelled backwards is Zendaya.
02:05While there's some unofficial lore going around on TikTok about the hat
02:08and its supposed mystical, fashion-forward powers,
02:11the Zendaya theory is meant as an absurd parody of creepypasta stories,
02:14some of which take things that seem innocent enough
02:17and spin them into scary tales.
02:18Even though there might not be a concrete meaning behind the Zendaya theory,
02:22the meme has worked as incredible engagement bait
02:24that coaxes people into searching for an answer.
02:27I'm officially over you.
02:28Recently, the meme was given an unexpected new chapter
02:31thanks to the 2025 Met Gala.
02:33Zendaya was in attendance at the gala,
02:35and much like in 2014,
02:36she was photographed wearing a big hat.
02:39Zendaya theory accounts were quick to report on this discovery,
02:41with one user gaining over 3.2 million views in a day
02:44after sharing the white hat video.
02:46Was it a coincidence that Zendaya wore the big white hat
02:49to the Met Gala,
02:50or is she playing into the meme?
02:51Let us know what you think,
02:52and make sure to like and subscribe
02:54for the latest in internet culture.
02:56Yeah!
02:56Okay, love you guys.
02:57Don't forget to smile, smile, smile, smile, smile, smile.