The Masked Singer’s Jellyfish Is Either An Olympian Or Mega Hollywood Royalty

Compared to their fellow competitors in the previous rounds, The Masked Singer’s Group C contestants were more interested in having fun on stage and making the panelists laugh during their debut. The panel has labeled Group C as partiers instead of vocalists, but I don’t think they are getting enough credit. The third group of secret celebs stepped it up this week and one of the most improved was The Masked Singer's Jellyfish who overcame her nerves and actually sounded like she could be a bonafide professional singer in her second performance.

As always, the panel closely examined her clue package to figure out her identity, but the biggest hint as to who is behind the mask actually came from host Nick Cannon during the series premiere. In case you don’t remember, I’ll refresh your memory and offer a few solid guesses as to who's behind the Jellyfish. 

When season 4 of The Masked Singer began, Cannon listed off the 16 contestants’ accomplishments which included someone being an Olympic gold medalist. Based on the clues, Jellyfish’s height, and process of elimination, I think she is the contestant who has earned this title. Multiple clues suggest that retired gymnast McKayla Maroney is revealing her vulnerable side on The Masked Singer stage.

First, let’s look at the Jellyfish’s costume. It is one of the more stylish designs and the most tailored which means it is easy to see that the contestant is very petite. Despite wearing platform neon boots, she looks tiny when she stands next to Cannon. Her first clue package labeled her as the “little (ish)” Jellyfish which was possibly a reference to her stature. Like most gymnasts, Maroney has a small build and is only 5 foot 3 inches tall. 

In the first clue package, Jellyfish said she ruled from “coast to coast.” As professional athletes, gymnasts have to travel constantly to compete. A 2012 profile about Maroney said she started training to become an elite gymnast when she was nine. She competed in championships around the world in places like Texas, Illinois, Italy, and Japan. But, more specifically, the “coast to coast” line could be a play on words. The same 2012 article, Maroney lists the Gym-Max in Costa Mesa, California as the place where she began preparing for her Olympic dreams. 

While floating through the underwater scene in the clue package, Jellyfish walked through a boiler room decorated with red and white fans. This scene could point to Maroney’s family. Her father attended Purdue University, whose students are nicknamed the Boilermakers. The decor is another nod to life on the road as a gymnast. Maroney competed in Tokyo for the World Championships in 2011 and won two gold medals. The colors of the Japanese flag are red and white just like the fans. 

Jellyfish said she felt trapped in her previous lifestyle and “it was time for this princess to journey into the real world.” She then said she experienced new things like going to parties as images of a flower crown and baby powder were shown. Maroney officially retired from gymnastics in 2016, which meant she no longer had to abide by the strict lifestyle of an athlete training for the Olympics. She was “free” just like Jellyfish. One of the parties Jellyfish could have been referring to is the music festival Coachella, which Maroney has attended. The outdoor festival could also explain the flower crown in the clue package.

The final important clue was the baby powder which resembles the powdered chalk Maroney and other gymnasts put on their hands to improve their grip.

The second clue package addressed Jellyfish’s first performance of Fergie’s “Big Girls Don’t Cry," in which she was noticeably nervous. Jellyfish said she is super competitive, but let her nerves affect her and that the panels’ comments stung “because I’m usually one of the best at what I do.” These two clues are hints that Jellyfish is an athlete because of the emphasis on her competitive nature. Maroney is famously ambitious (see: McKayla Maroney is not impressed) when she was awarded the silver medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She is also undeniably “one of the best” since her vault skills helped her team win a gold medal at the same Summer Olympics. 

The rest of the clue package focuses on Jellyfish’s family. An image is shown of a family of five jellyfish huddled together. Jellyfish recalled a childhood memory of her father waking her up early and taking her to events. She seemed to dedicate the performance to her father and said his wisdom would help calm her nerves. Maroney comes from a family of five. Her father passed away in 2019 and she recently opened up about his sudden death in a series of posts on her Instagram Stories. 

Jellyfish was much more relaxed on stage for her performance of “Crazy” by Patsy Cline. The panel praised her beautiful tone. Maroney has been teasing a musical career since leaving gymnastics and finally released her debut song this year. Jellyfish’s singing style and upper register match Maroney’s voice on the track, below. Her desire to be a musician also explains why Jellyfish was so determined to give a better performance this week. Right now, an overwhelming number of clues imply Maroney is Jellyfish. 

Sticking with the theory that Jellyfish is the gold medalist, let’s entertain panelist Robin Thicke’s initial guess of Gabby Douglas. She is a fellow “Fierce Five” member like Maroney so many of the clues work for both of them. Douglas also has a small build that mirrors Jellyfish’s frame. She is 5 feet 3 inches tall. Douglas could be the Olympian we’re looking for.

Both Maroney and Douglas were members of the gold-winning gymnastics teams at the 2012 London Olympics. Douglas also won a gold medal for all-around that year. She went on to share another team win in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, so she has a total of three gold medals. Jellyfish said in the first clue package that she “reigned supreme.” Since 2016 was the last Summer Olympics, Douglass is technically one of reigning champions in gymnastics. 

The “coast to coast” clue could refer to Douglas traveling for competitions. It could also be a reference to her moving from Virginia to Iowa to work with her trainer. Douglas’ mother, Natalie, spoke with ABC News in 2012 about the decision to have her daughter move in with another family at 14 to pursue her dreams. 

Again, the baby powder clue could be a substitute for the chalk gymnasts put on their hands when they compete. However, the new experiences clue has a different meaning with Douglas. She has not retired from the sport, which means that she could have been training for the 2020 Summer Olympics before it was pushed back a year. So, this clue could be about her current free time.

When Jellyfish spoke about waking up early and traveling to events, she was performing on stage with a band. There was a close up of one of the band members who was playing the triangle. The instrument could be another way to hint at Douglas’ three gold medals. 

There were two other clues that clearly connect to Douglas. In the package, there was a quick, random scene of Jellyfish knocking over a cereal box. Later, her magic lamp clue was revealed to be a fake tiger. The stuffed animal could represent the cartoon mascot Tony the Tiger. In 2012, Kellogg Company said it would put a picture of Douglas showing off her gold medal on boxes of corn flakes. Olympic athletes had previously appeared on Wheaties boxes up until that point. This oddly specific clue makes the Douglas theory more likely.

Unlike Maroney, Douglas does not have a budding music career. Still, it is hard to deny that multiple clues make her appearance on the show plausible.

Just in case I am completely off with my belief that Jellyfish is an Olympian, I had to include a non-athlete on this list. A young female musician who could be inside the fashionable green costume is Willow Smith.

Standing at 5 feet 7 inches, Smith is slightly taller than the Jellyfish, but maybe there's some sort of optical illusion happening. Plus, Jellyfish’s wavy tentacles resemble hair, which could be a nod to Smith’s biggest hit “Whip My Hair.”

Multiple clues in the first package also connect to Smith’s debut single. Jellyfish said her “castle started to feel like a gilded cage.” “Whip My Hair” was a huge success for Smith, but she was only 10 years old when it was released. As a pre-teen, Smith was performing on television shows and was expected to go on a tour. Her father Will Smith has publicly shared the story of Willow cutting her hair so she could convince him to pull her from the tour. So, Jellyfish feeling trapped could be interpreted as Willow’s decision to step away from her growing music career. 

Jellyfish felt like “it was time for this princess to journey into the real world.” Later, the baby powder appeared. Willow released a few singles after “Whip My Hair,” but she mostly disappeared from the public eye and returned to her life as a somewhat regular (she does have two famous parents) teenager. The baby powder could reference Willow’s place as the youngest member of her family. 

In the second clue package, Jellyfish stressed her disappointment over her first performance and the panel’s feedback. If Jellyfish is a real musician, like Smith, then it would be especially difficult to be criticized for her vocal abilities. Jellyfish sounded almost perfect in her second performance. This situation could be similar to La Toya Jackson’s appearance on the show during the first season as Alien. She was initially insulted that the panel thought she was not a real singer and her future performances showcased her talent. If Smith is the Jellyfish, then her vocals would likely improve each week like Jackson's did.

When Jelly spoke about her family, a group of five jellyfish appeared. She also said that her parents dedicated time to help achieve her dreams. She highlighted her dad’s role because he “helped engineer my whole world.” The Smiths are a family of five. Coming from two famous parents, it makes sense that Smith would recognize the impact her parent’s fame had in helping her succeed. Smith made her acting debut in 2007 alongside her dad in I Am Legend. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star also announced in 2011 that he wanted his daughter to star in a remake of Annie. That could explain what Jellyfish meant about her dad designing her career. 

Smith has a loose connection to Jellyfish’s magic clue. The tiger could be an acknowledgment of Smith voicing a character in the animated film Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. Smith is not the strongest theory, in my opinion, but anything is possible on this show.