Russian influencer Mariana Barutkina has gone viral while attempting Nicki Minaj‘s stiletto challenge. She tried balancing in stilettos on a kitchen countertop, only to end up with a fractured spine just weeks after giving birth. The incident has sparked mixed reactions on social media.
What happened to Mariana Barutkina?
Russian influencer Mariana Barutkina sustained a spinal fracture while attempting the viral stiletto challenge, which is inspired by a pose in Nicki Minaj’s track “High School.” The challenge involves participants posing in high heels, often on unstable surfaces, while striking dramatic poses to the song. Barutkina’s attempt ended in a serious injury, just weeks after giving birth.
On August 1, Barutkina uploaded a video to Instagram that showed her on top of her kitchen counter, wearing stilettos, balancing on a saucepan and a tin of what appears to be baby formula. While she initially maintained her balance, the stunt quickly took a dangerous turn when she lost her balance and fell backward off the high surface. As she revealed in her caption, the fall left her with a “Th9 compression bending uncomplicated fracture,” an injury to her spine.
“I decided to start blogging and here I am leaving the doctor diagnosed with Th9 compression bending uncomplicated fracture of the body,” she wrote alongside the video. Reflecting on the outcome, Barutkina added, “The irony? Karma? Or just life, which always tests our strength at the most unexpected moment.”
Despite the injury, Barutkina said the attention the incident brought made it worthwhile. In a follow-up post, she noted, “Because of one video, which was unsuccessfully filmed, I woke up a popular person. More than 50 people sent me my reel from different publications today.”
Barutkina also assured followers that she and her baby were doing well following the incident. She added that her child had been in the care of one of two nannies during the filming. “I’m doing great, following the guidelines and now living in ‘star’ status,” she wrote.
Responses to the video were mixed, with many social media users wishing her a quick recovery. However, others criticized the risk she took for internet attention.
Originally reported by Disheeta Maheshwari on ComingSoon.
