Mentalist Oz Pearlman Reveals Baby Name He Guessed Moments Before Shooting at White House Correspondents' Dinner

Mentalist Oz Pearlman has provided details about the viral moment captured at the 2026 White House Correspondents' Dinner, explaining exactly what he was performing when shots rang out and the event came to an abrupt halt.

Speaking with ABC's Jonathan Karl, Pearlman described how his interaction with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt began backstage. Leavitt had challenged him to guess the name she'd chosen for her daughter, who was set to arrive the following week. Their conversation was interrupted when the president entered, prompting Pearlman to suggest they continue the moment on stage.

Once onstage, Pearlman approached the president and first lady to say hello before beginning his mentalist act with Leavitt. He worked through the trick letter by letter, attempting to determine how many letters comprised the baby's name. He then wrote down his guess and presented it to Leavitt, turning to show the paper to the first lady just as the gunfire began.

"I wrote down the name and I said, 'How did I do?' And I turned around and that's when you see the first lady go, 'Oh! Is that the name?'" Pearlman recounted.

The name he had written was Vivian. Pearlman noted that Leavitt had given him permission to reveal what he'd guessed on the paper.

The shooting incident led to the cancellation of the event after a gunman opened fire during the dinner.