A Nicki Minaj–inspired internet challenge has left a Russian influencer recovering from a fractured spine — and sparked a wave of online debate about the risks people take for viral fame.
Mariana Barutkina, 32, who also goes by Mariana Vasiuc, is a new mother from Yekaterinburg. Just weeks after giving birth, she decided to film her first blog post by attempting the “Nicki Minaj stiletto challenge.” The trend dares participants to mimic Minaj’s crouched pose from her 2013 “High School” music video while balancing in high heels — often on unstable or precarious objects.
Barutkina’s version raised the stakes. In her kitchen, she placed a jar of baby formula atop a saucepan on the counter, positioned one stiletto-clad foot on it, and attempted a one-legged squat. The jar slipped. She tumbled backward off the counter, slamming onto the floor.
Doctors later confirmed she had suffered a compression fracture to her T9 vertebra, an injury that can take months of recovery. On Instagram, she shared the diagnosis — calling it a “Th9 compression bending uncomplicated fracture of the body” — alongside a candid reflection on the incident.
Nicki Minaj Stiletto Challenge
“I decided to start blogging — the first content shooting — and here I am, leaving the doctor with a fracture,” she wrote in a translated post. “The irony? Karma? Or just life testing our strength at the most unexpected moment.”
The accident, however, catapulted her into sudden internet notoriety. Barutkina says her failed stunt was shared widely across social media, with more than 50 people sending her reposts from various outlets. “Because of one video, I woke up a popular person,” she wrote. “I’m doing great, following the guidelines, and now living in ‘star’ status.”
The “stiletto challenge” has quickly drawn criticism from safety advocates, who warn that the mix of high heels, elevated surfaces, and unstable props is a recipe for disaster. Videos online show participants balancing on everything from dumbbells to traffic cones to imitate Minaj’s pose.
While Barutkina embraces her viral moment, her injury underscores a growing truth about social media culture: the line between entertainment and danger is razor-thin. And in the chase for clicks, one slip — literal or otherwise — can leave lasting scars.
