Reese Donatelli, the four-year-old girl behind the viral "Trust the Toddler" predictions, has received death threats after her picks gained national attention.
What began as a social media series — featuring the toddler’s uncanny ability to pick weekly winners — has taken a dark and dangerous turn. It's now forced her father, Southern California radio personality Anthony Donatelli, to address the disturbing messages directed at his daughter.
Donatelli has picked up widespread fame from the family's series, but at the same time has received a lot of negative backlash, including from popular figures like Cardi B.
Here's more on the story that has taken a turn for the worse.
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Who is Reece Donatelli?
Donatelli is a 4-year-old girl who became a viral sensation for her weekly NFL game predictions in a social media series called "Trust the Toddler." She is the daughter of Anthony Donatelli, a radio personality based in Southern California.
Trust the Toddler, in which Reese Donatelli predicts play-off matches, has garnered millions of views — but fan reactions have recently taken a nasty turn https://t.co/LgouC3sjPz
— The Times and The Sunday Times (@thetimes) January 21, 2026
While the series began as lighthearted fun, it recently took a serious turn when the family said that she had received death threats from online trolls.
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As Donatelli's picks gained national attention, some fans and gamblers began viewing her selections as a "bad omen."
When she picked the Pittsburgh Steelers to beat the Houston Texans, and the Steelers were subsequently "obliterated," toxic elements of the fandom began directing vitriol toward her and her father, Southern California radio personality Anthony Donatelli.
"It's nuts," Donatelli's father said. "She's obviously not an NFL analyst. She's picking teams based on the color of her dress, or she'll pick the Packers because she likes cheese. She just relates these silly little things as reasons why she picks certain teams."
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NFL prediction videos
Donatelli has made headlines recently with her prediction videos.
"I said, you know what, we might have something here," her father said. "It just clicked. I would put the match-ups of who was going to play that week in front of her, and for the past four years she's been calling football games. And she's been pretty dang good at it."
She gained national attention during the 2025-2026 NFL postseason due to a "curse" narrative. After she incorrectly predicted every single game during the Wild Card round, fans began to fear her picks, viewing them as a "bad omen" for whichever team she chose to win.
@jahdaeszn Poor kid bro 😢 #nfl #trustthetoddler #nflprediction ♬ Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) - Ultimate Mix - John Lennon
Over the first two rounds of the NFL postseason, Donatelli is 0-8 with her predictions.
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Cardi B, with whom Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs shares a child, took to social media after the Patriots' win vs. The Texans.
THEY DIDN’T BELIEVE IN US!!! I LIKE US!!!!! WE ALL WE GOT!!!!! WE ALL WE NEED!!!! #Patsnation https://t.co/pufQTNTIIw pic.twitter.com/GLa7dQy9Jr
— Cardi B (@iamcardib) January 18, 2026
On an Instagram live, Cardi B said that "little white girl said we're going to win. F— that, b—!" Before apologizing and saying, "I didn't mean to say that."
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