Influencer Fractures Spine After Attempting To Do The Viral Nicki Minaj Pose Challenge
Doctors are cautioning people to be careful while attempting to do the challenge.
If you’re active on X and Instagram, chances are that you might have come across the viral Nicki Minaj’s High School Pose challenge. However, what started as a fun, harmless dance challenge that people made for entertainment quickly turned into a nightmare for a Russian influencer. An Instagram creator recently suffered a major, horrifying injury after trying out the pose. Read on to find out more.
Mariana Barutkina, a Russian influencer, made headlines after suffering a tragic injury. At the end of July 2025, she posted a video of herself attempting the challenge. However, when Mariana attempted to do the Nicki Minaj pose on top of a kitchen counter, she lost her balance and fell backwards. Mariana wrote in the caption of her post that she had suffered a serious spine injury. Her official diagnosis for the injury was an uncomplicated compression flexion fracture of the T9 bone.
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Fortunately, despite the injury, Barutkina seems to be doing alright, as she presumably rests and recovers. The creator even posted a follow-up video talking about how this incident has resulted in a rise in popularity for Mariana.
A doctor from Toronto also warned people who are doing the Nicki Minaj challenge to be cautious. He said that if you fall during the challenge, there is a chance that you can suffer a meniscal tear or an ACL injury. If one lands on their spine during a fall backwards.
The Nicki Minaj High School challenge, also simply known as the Nicki Minaj Challenge, is inspired by the rapper’s 2013 music video for her song ‘High School’ featuring rapper Lil Wayne. In the music video, Nicki is seen posing by the poolside in a peculiar position. She is crouching in high heels with one leg raised over the other.
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Nicki Minaj pulls off the pose effortlessly; however, it is not that easy. Videos of people attempting to do the challenge have garnered millions of views. Even famous celebrities have participated in the trend.
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First Published: August 08, 2025 5:31 PM
