My Shayla
My Shayla is a viral TikTok sound and reaction meme built around a 2017 clip of actor Tyrese Gibson tearfully saying 'Oh my god, my Shayla' about his daughter1. The audio blew up on TikTok in December 2024, with creators pairing it with captions about heartbreak, nostalgia, or exaggerated emotional pain3.
Overview
My Shayla is a reaction meme and TikTok audio pulled from a tearful Instagram video that actor Tyrese Gibson posted in November 2017 about his custody fight over his daughter Shayla1. The specific moment people quote comes near the end of the clip, when Gibson chokes out the line 'Oh my god, my Shayla'2.
Stills of Gibson sobbing with his hand over his mouth first circulated as Crying Tyrese reaction images across Twitter and Reddit throughout the late 2010s2. The audio itself did not go viral until late 2024, when TikTokers started layering the 'My Shayla' line over videos about breakups, family nostalgia, and dramatic mock heartbreak3. Urban Dictionary entries even define 'my shayla' as an affectionate exclamation of pride or tenderness toward someone special4.
How It Spread
How to Use This Meme
The typical My Shayla post uses the 'Oh my god, my Shayla' audio snippet as the soundtrack while text overlay describes something the creator is mock devastated or genuinely emotional about3. Common conventions include pairing it with photos of a loved one, an ex, a pet, or a childhood memory, letting Gibson's real sobbing sell the exaggerated feeling4. Some creators skip the audio and simply write 'my shayla' as a caption to signal affection or pride, echoing the Urban Dictionary usage4.