My first ever aerial arts performance tonight 🔥
The song was a surprise for my mom and dad in the crowd.
Proud of my journey inside and out. What a gift 💪🏻🩵
Thank you all for being on this journey with me!
Michael Jackson had to cut a deal with a drug lord to film this video. The Brazilian government tried to block the shoot. A judge banned the filming. The police refused to enter the area.
Rio was bidding to host the 2004 Olympics and didn't want the world seeing footage of its poorest neighborhoods. So Spike Lee walked into the favela (Rio's version of a hillside slum) and found the local crime boss. His name was Marcinho VP. He ran one of the city's biggest gangs, Comando Vermelho. He also happened to be a huge Jackson fan, and he provided the whole production with security for free.
A higher court eventually overturned the ban. The police still wouldn't go in. So 1,500 police officers and 50 residents acting as security guards sealed off the favela. Jackson arrived by helicopter. He walked the streets handing out candy to the kids. The people who lived there had woken up early that morning to sweep the streets and take out the trash before he got there.
Mid-shoot, two women burst through security. One knocked Jackson flat. Spike Lee helped him up and he kept dancing. That exact take is in the final video.
For the Salvador half of the shoot, he worked with 200 drummers from a local group called Olodum. The media coverage put them on the map in 140 countries. They'd been a regional act before the shoot. They became a global one after.
Over 200 million people watched the premiere around the world. The song itself peaked at #30 in America. In Germany it went to #1 and stayed on the chart for 30 weeks, the longest run of any Jackson song there. The video crossed 1 billion views on YouTube in 2023. Only one other Jackson video has done that: Billie Jean. He's the first solo male singer from the 1900s with two videos over a billion.
The day after Jackson died in 2009, Rio's mayor announced they'd put a statue of him in the same favela where the video was shot. Locals said the turnaround of their neighborhood started with his visit.
I’m in f’n tears!!
Congratulations @BiancaBelairWWE & @MontezFordWWE 😭❤️ selfishly I don’t wanna lose you for another year… but this is also the sweetest most heart warming news ever!! Love you guys!!!
Baby’s first Wrestlemania. 😭😭😭😭😭 I’ve been a fan for 30 years, and never been. I always told myself I wouldn’t go unless I was on the stage, but … ya know lol…… it’s TIME! Already surreal. Let’s gooooooo. 🔥 😭
#WWE#WrestlemaniaVegas
About to go to bed but I couldn’t without expressing my deep gratitude to this business and the people in it.
I’m a bit emotional right now because of it.
To the fans who tuned in or showed up to see Brodie’s first match.
To the friends who flew in or watched from home.
To the wrestlers who came and watched and supported and were so unbelievably encouraging.
To the people who were by our side all night. Doc, Joshy G, The Washingtons, Our Runnels Family, Joe, Will, Ricky, Chris, & BWitt.
To @GCWrestling_ for letting Brodie have these experiences.
To @CodyRhodes for being the most incredible mentor and friend we could ever ask for.
To @NatbyNature & @TJWilson for giving Brodie an unmatched education & support system. And for also bringing us into the Dungeon Family and giving Brodie the most incredible brotherhood in that space.
I am so unbelievably humbled by the love and support. It will never not be lost on me how blessed we truly are.
And most of all to @JANELABABY for seeing so much in Brodie. For taking a chance others wouldn’t have. For busting your ass to ensure Brodie (and everyone around him) felt 100% safe and comfortable with every last step. For changing the game in Indy wrestling and helping craft something so special.
Joey is someone who won’t ever get the flowers he deserves but I can’t say enough about how genuinely wonderful I truly think he is.
This business can be an absolute roller coaster but it’s been a life long love story for our family. I’m so very thankful for it.
One last shout out to Aunt Emily for her incredible gear including kick pads with his mentors in this world and mentors in the next.
I will not be covering #WrestleMania for ESPN.
WWE denied my credentials and blocked my access.
Neither I nor ESPN has been told why.
You can speculate on the reasons, but if you want answers, ask WWE.
Let me know what they tell you.
~FIN~
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@solomonster I don’t put together to many videos.
This is a much bigger issue than just bad TV or creative. WWE has fundamentally changed. The WWE we all grew up loving no longer exists and it’s only going to get worse.
Thoughts?