Influencer breaks spine doing outrageous Nicki Minaj TikTok challenge,
A mother has broken her spine after attempting a dangerous viral stunt inspired by rapper Nicki Minaj—just weeks after giving birth.
Mariana Barutkina, from Yekaterinburg in central Russia, was trying to film her first piece of content as an influencer when she suffered the painful injury while recreating a pose from the pop star’s High School music video.
Footage shows the 32-year-old beautician attempting to balance in sky-high stilettos on top of a jar of baby food, which had been placed on an upturned saucepan on her kitchen island.
As she posed, gripping a friend’s hand for balance, she suddenly loses control and tumbles backwards with a look of panic on her face.
The clip, which has since gone viral, ends with Mariana sprawled on the floor—and later being diagnosed with a compression flexion fracture in her spine.
She claimed she has now been told she must now wear a corset for three months.
The so-called ‘Stiletto Challenge’ has taken social media by storm, with thousands of users attempting to copy a scene from a 2013 music video in which Minaj poses beside a swimming pool, crouched in heels with one leg crossed over the other.
Recalling her horrifying ordeal, Ms Barutkina said she attempted the stunt just eight weeks after the birth of her son.
‘I decided to start a blog, my first content shoot—and here I am leaving the doctor’s with a diagnosis,’ she said.
‘Irony? Karma? Or just life, which always tests our strength at the most unexpected moment.’
The video has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times and prompted a wave of online criticism, with many questioning the mother’s priorities.
One viewer wrote: ‘Irony? Karma? Stupidity and courage.’
Another added: ‘To live to 32, have children, but not gain intelligence—you have to try really hard.’
A third even cruelly said: ‘What kind of upbringing will a child receive from such a blogger?’
Responding to the backlash, Mariana insisted her baby was not at risk.
‘Because of one video, which was poorly filmed, I woke up as a popular person,’ she said.
‘People, thank you for the popularity, for your concerns and for your comments.
‘I am doing great, I am following the recommendations and now I live in the status of a “star”.
‘For those who are worried about my child, I will also reassure you, he has two nannies and while I was filming, one of them was with him.’
According to The Spinal Injuries Association, approximately 4,700 people are injured or diagnosed with a spinal cord injury every year in the UK.
This equates to someone becoming paralysed every two hours.
The organisation also estimates around 105,000 people across Britain are currently living with a spinal cord injury.
Under NHS guidance, the majority of spinal fractures are treated conservatively—which means allowing the bone to heal naturally and therefore without a specific brace or the need for surgery.
This healing process often takes three to four months but the majority of the pain settles by six to eight weeks.
Medics suggest taking regular pain killers.
When this isn’t an option, some fractures may be helped by a supportive brace or even surgery.
Over time, some people who suffer spinal fractures may also develop a stooped posture, as the spine struggles to support the weight of their body, which can lead to breathing difficulties.
