A Russian influencer managed to break her spine while attempting a social media challenge.
Many TikTok challenges are harmless fun, but others can have dangerous consequences. Mariana Vasiuc found this out the hard way, but still posted the footage regardless of her injury.
A post shared by Мариана | материнства | живу жизнь (@mariana_vasiuc)
Multiple outlets, including The Tab, report that Vasiuc was attempting the “Stiletto challenge.” The idea behind the trend is to balance on random objects while wearing high heels. It’s inspired by a scene from the “High School” music video by Nikki Minaj.
Vasiuc decided to make the challenge hard for herself. She balanced on one leg on top of a pot of Nutrilon baby formula on top of a saucepan. Even more impressively, the influencer did all of this while holding another pot of baby formula on a tabletop. To her credit, Vasiuc briefly managed to keep the position before slipping backwards off the tabletop. The person filming her stunt immediately jumps to her aid the moment she falls.
It’s hard to say how serious Vasiuc’s fall was, but she reveals what happened in the post description.
The Influencer Reveals She Suffered A Compression Fracture
Per a translation of the caption, Vasiuc claims a doctor diagnosed her with a compression fracture. According to Hopkins Medicine, “A compression fracture is a type of broken bone that can cause your vertebrae to collapse, making them shorter.”
Comments on the video are mixed, but many blast Vasiuc for her dangerous stunt. One user replied, “Can’t say you didn’t ask for it … not sure why anyone grown women thinks this is cute.” Another asked, “Why on the counter though? Common sense goes a long way.”
Despite her injury, the influencer has posted several times since. “Because of one video, which was unsuccessfully filmed, I woke up a popular person,” she said in a separate post. “I’m doing great, following the guidelines and now living in “star” status👌🏽,” Vasiuc joked.
The Stiletto Challenge has become quite trendy on social media. One notable video by @etoilesalondenver has racked up 60 million views and shows a woman expertly balancing on two bottles of nail polish.