A prank took an unexpected turn at a public event this weekend when Detroit comedian Gerald Huston claimed rapper Papoose hit him in the face with a book after he jokingly called Papoose’s girlfriend, boxing champion Claressa Shields, “Serena Williams.”
The incident happened on October 12 and was later detailed by both Huston and Shields on social media.
Huston, known for filming pranks that involve misidentifying celebrities, said in a livestream that the situation got physical after his latest joke didn’t land as planned. Holding up his phone to show a bruised nose, Huston told viewers, “Papoose done hit me with a book,” adding, “Play silly games, you win silly prizes.”
Shields, 30, addressed the confrontation during her livestream later that evening. She said she initially laughed off the mix-up but grew frustrated when Huston continued to follow her despite her correcting him several times.
“Papoose told him to back off, but he just kept going,” Shields said. “All of us who was around looked at him like, ‘bro, what is you doing?’”
The two-time Olympic gold medalist said she didn’t know Huston or his comedy style and felt the situation could have been avoided.
“If he had just asked first, none of this would’ve happened,” she said. “Y’all already know what happened. I don’t have to say nothing.”
Huston, 35, has gained millions of followers online for his sometimes confrontational pranks, which often involve confusing celebrities for other stars.
In 2022, he called rapper Young Thug “Future” at an Atlanta mall, prompting a tense reaction that went viral with more than 800,000 views. He has also mixed up producer Stevie J with “Diddy,” called O.T. Genasis “DaBaby,” and previously claimed that Blac Chyna hit him after a similar stunt at a nightclub.
Huston has more than 1.5 million Instagram followers and nearly 900,000 YouTube subscribers. Before his viral fame, he was a stand-up comedian, opening for acts such as D.L. Hughley, Lil Duval, and Jess Hilarious.
Papoose, 47, began dating Shields in 2024 after separating from rapper Remy Ma, his wife of nine years. The couple met at a boxing match that summer and went public with their relationship later that year.
Their romance sparked controversy when Remy Ma posted screenshots of private messages between the two, revealing that Papoose was still legally married. Despite the drama, Shields and Papoose have continued to appear together publicly and recently celebrated their first anniversary in September.
Reactions online have been split. Many users defended Papoose, saying he was right to stand up for Shields. “He better be glad she didn’t hit him,” one commenter wrote, while another added, “Pap did exactly what her man was supposed to do.”
Others said Huston’s prank style often crosses the line. “He’s lucky it was just a book,” one user wrote. “You can’t keep bothering people for clout.”
As of now, Papoose has not publicly commented on the altercation, and neither side has reported the incident to the police.
