Why Is Leafy Going Viral On The Internet Again? Leafy's 2023 Face Reveal Explained

YouTuber LeafyIsHere is known for his provocative internet personality, a choice that lead to his ban from YouTube in 2020. The creator made a return to Twitter and some sense of relevance in 2023, making it a point to use a racial slur in his very first tweet announcing his return.

But Leafy's controversial antics did not garner him nearly as many eyeballs as he received when he shared a less-than-flattering selfie in August 2023. Here's everything you need to know about Leafy's 2023 face reveal, and the internet's reaction to it.

Who Is LeafyIsHere?

LeafyIsHere, whose real name is Calvin Lee Vail, is an American internet personality who garnered a following on YouTube for his reaction and drama-style content, delivered over video footage of him playing video games. He developed a snarky and rude personality that landed him in hot water with other YouTubers who accused him of cyberbullying, a charge that eventually led to him being banned from YouTube in 2020 due to his repeatedly violating the platform's harassment policies.

Leafy's antics made him the subject of a Content Cop segment, a series created by YouTuber iDubbbz to critique bad content creators on the internet.

What Was Leafy's 2023 Face Reveal?

In August 2023, LeafyIsHere posted a selfie from an airplane to his Instagram Story, an upload he later also posted to his X profile. The photo was captioned, "I'm not fat lmfao but yes shit got wild after 4 bans ahahahaha I'm on plane rn." He then shared another photo, this time captioned, "leafy reveals his face for the second time in 2023," gathering several thousands of likes on both.

While Leafy was never one to share selfies even at the height of his fame in the late 2010s, the photos still proved to be a contrast from his last recognizable, young and clean-shaven persona.

How Did Leafy's Face Reveal Become A Meme?

Various internet users reacted to Leafy's face reveal with surprise and disdain, particularly due to their knowledge of his racist and misogynistic internet history. Several memes about Leafy's face reveal revolved around something called twink death, an internet slang term for when a "twinky" or clean-cut young man grows into a disheveled looking older one. Other memes simply mocked Leafy in a matter comparable to his mockery of people on the internet.

For the full history of Leafy's 2023 face reveal, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.