If you thought Michael Strahan would actually mess with his signature smile, you thought wrong!
The Good Morning America host shocked fans earlier this week when he revealed he was closing the gap between his two front teeth. He went so far as to share a video of himself in the surgical chair with Dr. Lee Gause, eventually posting the final results of his procedure by showing off his new pearly whites... or so we thought.
However, it turns out it was all a ruse! Michael recorded another video of himself on Thursday, April 1, with a ghost-print mask over his face to give a "#GoodbyeGap update," as he called it.
He addressed fans that didn't seem too keen on his gap-less smile by saying, "I appreciate all the comments. I was surprised, to be honest with you, at how many people were like, ‘No, don't get rid of the gap! It's your signature!'"
Michael explained he's seen so many people discussing his teeth this week on TV and online. "I didn't know so many people really cared," he said. "But I appreciate all the love for the gap. I've had it for almost 50 years now, and a lot of people out there would always say, ‘Yeah you make me feel good about rocking mine,'" adding, "I know it was a shocker to see it gone."
The 49-year-old former football pro offered advice to those who are learning to love their own smiles, while also seeming to confirm his transformation: "Be you. Live the way you wanna live. Do what makes you happy, because I did and I am happy that I did it."
He continued, "So, I just wanted to say..." before pulling down his mask to flaunt his gap in all its glory. "April Fools! Come on, man! The gap is here to stay—for a little while. It's not going anywhere anytime soon," he laughed.
"I had a good time. I actually feel bad, I feel really bad about actually not closing it after everything that I saw," Michael added.
So what made him decide to keep his beloved gap? As the athlete explained, "My momma likes it, so there you go, for you momma!" His caption confirmed he has no regrets, as he wrote, "Momma knows best!"
He wasn't clear on whether the entire thing was a prank, or if he actually was considering the procedure at one point, but simply decided against it at the request of his mom, Louise Strahan. Either way, he got us good!
Michael really had us convinced he changed his teeth and was seen on camera after the operation saying, "I love it." But we should have known better, especially considering he tweeted last week, "I rock my gap with pride! It's who I am!"
His fellow celebs seemed relieved it was all just a prank. Heidi Klum wrote, "Thank goodness" while Sterling Shepard said, "That was a good one."
Watch his April Fools' Day joke above.