Controversy after dad 'saws' sleeping baby in half

A magician who pretended to saw his daughter in half in a video shared online has sparked a huge debate about how he managed to perform the trick.

American father Justin Flom shared a video to Facebook page The Magic Show, showing baby Haven appearing to be split in two as she laid calmly on a blanket, reported the Daily Mail.

He uses two picture books to cut through his daughter's stomach before moving her legs away from her body.

The clip has now had 143 million views, and has divided Facebook viewers about how he managed to do the trick, with a popular theory being that he used a mirror to conceal the baby's real body.

In the video Justin sneaks up on little Haven while she was sleeping peacefully on a coffee table.

He picks up two Dr Suess books and uses them to slice her stomach in half and separates her upper and lower body.

The little girl then wakes up and look at her father curiously before he puts her back together.

Haven wasn't harmed in the video and even giggled at her father when the trick was complete.

Viewers have come up with several ideas about how Justin had managed to do the trick.

One suggested the bottom half of the table was actually a mirror, concealing Haven's real body.

Another said it could be an area built into the table to hold the baby's body, while her chest, arms and head are above the line.

One said the camera wasn't filming the whole scene, and suggested Justin might be hiding Haven's legs under the purple blanket.

Another theory was that the moment Haven's body was split in two was actually an image created with clever photo editing skills.

They also pointed out that the books on the table are taken off when she is moved around, proving the footage had been edited.

Daily Mail