Russian influencer Mariana Barutkina, 32, suffered a spinal fracture after attempting the viral “Stiletto Challenge” inspired by Nicki Minaj’s 2013 song High School. The challenge, which involves balancing in high heels while striking a cross-legged squat pose from Minaj’s music video, has gained traction on TikTok and Instagram, with over 1.3 billion views under #nickiminajchallenge. Celebrities like Ciara have successfully performed it, but Barutkina’s attempt on July 31, 2025, led to a serious injury just eight weeks postpartum.
In a since-deleted Instagram video, Barutkina balanced on a baby formula canister stacked on a saucepan atop her kitchen counter while wearing stilettos. After briefly holding the pose, she lost balance, fell backward, and sustained a Th9 compression flexion fracture, requiring a medical corset for three months. She captioned the post, “TREND OR WHOLE SPINE? I decided to start a blog, first content shoot — and here I am leaving the doctor with a diagnosis… Irony? Karma? Or just life, which always tests our strength at the most unexpected moment.” Despite the injury, Barutkina embraced her viral fame, noting in a follow-up post on August 3, “I woke up a popular person… I’m doing great, following the guidelines and now living in ‘star’ status.” She clarified her newborn was cared for by nannies during filming.
Social media reactions are mixed, with some wishing her recovery and others criticizing the stunt’s recklessness, especially postpartum. Comments on X, like those from @grandpabbychuck, likened it to the dangerous 2021 crate challenge, while others urged, “Nicki was not standing on anything… STOPPPPPPP.” Nicki Minaj clarified on August 5 via Instagram that her original pose was on solid ground, stating, “Both feet on the ground tho. Ten toes.” The incident has sparked debate about the safety of viral trends, with TikTok adding age restrictions and warnings to related content.
Source: African Publicity