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10 Hilarious April Fools' Day Pranks From Celebs That Are, Actually, Really Creative

by Kristin Manna

April Fools' Day is just around the corner. What's the best thing about this day? All the pranks, of course. And not just any pranks — celebrity pranks. I think we can all agree that it is way more fun watching other people get punked than getting pranked ourselves. And let's just admit it: famous people do it best. They go all out, from playing tricks on their fans to pulling practical jokes on their bffs. With April Fools' just a few weeks away, I, for one, cannot wait to check out this year's best celebrity April Fools' Day pranks.

There's always the classic "coming out of retirement" trick, or always-shocking pregnancy announcement. George Clooney and Ellen Degeneres are just two famous goofballs who never let anyone down with their sense of humor. In my opinion, celeb pranks are the best because I never see them coming. Who would have ever expected that John Stamos and Michael Phelps would play the biggest tricks on their fans? This just goes to show that on April Fools' Day, nobody is safe.

So check out some of these noteworthy pranks pulled by celebrities. Who knows, they might even inspire the jokes you end up pulling as you do your own prep for this year's day of mischief.

1

Michael Phelps Fools His Fans

We all love a good comeback, and when our favorite athlete announces that they're coming out of retirement, we have every right to jump for joy. Well, unless it's April Fools' Day. This is exactly what Michael Phelps did last year: he announced his comeback via Twitter, which got all of his fans super excited, then incredibly bummed out.

2

Netflix & John Stamos Join Forces

Does Netflix count as a celebrity? Maybe not, but this prank was so good that I just had to include it on this list. Back in 2016, Netflix released a fake trailer for a brand new John Stamos documentary. Shortly after, a video was "leaked" to People showing a video of Stamos freaking out at the Netflix Office. "He wants to make fun of me? My Brand?" Stamos yelled to the receptionist. Turns out the actor was in it all along.

3

Rihanna Gets Jimmy Kimmel

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Jimmy Kimmel knows how to pull a good prank, but it's somehow even funnier when he is the victim. Rihanna went to Kimmel's home on April 1 and woke him up while performing one of her hits. I mean, who wouldn't want to see Rihanna's face first thing in the morning? This is, however, definitely stretching the definition of a prank — it's more like a dream come true!

4

Joe Jonas Shares A Sonogram Pic

Back in 2015, Joe Jonas shared some big news with the world. He posted an photo from an ultrasound on his Twitter page, which turned out to be fake. But if there's one thing you should remember about April Fools' Day, it's to never believe anyone when they say they're pregnant.

5

Tom Brady Wears A Body Cast

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Tom Brady may have gone a little overboard with this April Fools' joke. In 2015, he posted a picture of him in a full body cast to his Facebook page, with the caption " Jordan's crossover is no joke." Don't worry guys, Brady was just fine.

6

Rebel Wilson Gets Injured

We all know Rebel Wilson has a great sense of humor, but what you might not know is that she fooled the crew of Pitch Perfect Three. Wilson's prank was simple, yet effective: she lay down on the ground outside her trailer, pretending to be injured. Once a small crowd accumulated, she screamed, "April Fools!" Wilson even posted the prank on her Instagram page, to proving to everyone what a good trickster she really is.

7

George Clooney Stocks Up On Halloween Candy

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George Clooney has to be one of the best pranksters of all time. He's pranked Tina Fey, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, Meryl Streep... the list goes on and on. In my opinion, the best prank he has ever pulled had to be when Clooney, along with Brad Pitt, pranked the late Oceans producer, Jerry Weintraub. They were all "drinking" on a plane, and Wientraub got too drunk and passed out (Clooney and Pitt were drinking water the entire time, reported Yahoo). With the help of Pitt, Clooney then filled Wientraub's underwear with M&Ms. It's your classic middle school sleepover prank, but that fact that Pitt and Clooney were involved makes it even funnier.

8

Ellen Degeneres Braces Herself

I love sweet, sweet Ellen, but I wouldn't put it past her to play one of the best pranks, which she routinely does on her show. In an episode that aired on April 1, Ellen appeared wearing a neck brace and pretended she got into an accident on her way to work. But shortly after, she ripped off the neck brace and reminded her audience that it was April Fools' Day.

9

James Franco Shares A Special Announcement

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Famous people know just how much we love a celebrity baby, so when James Franco posted a photo of his Spring Breakers costar Selena Gomez with a baby on Instagram, everyone freaked out Not only was the pregnancy a sham, but the original photo has also been taken down. Way to break our hearts all over again, James.

Check out Romper's new video series, Bearing The Motherload, where disagreeing parents from different sides of an issue sit down with a mediator and talk about how to support (and not judge) each other’s parenting perspectives. New episodes air Mondays on Facebook.