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Video of Drew Brees being struck by lightning was a marketing stunt

A fabricated video purportedly showing former NFL quarterback Drew Brees being struck by lightning caused a social media frenzy.

NEW ORLEANS — A video posted online claims to show Drew Brees struck by lightning while filming a promotional video in Venezuela.

Earlier this week, Brees shared on Twitter that he was "flying to a top-secret location" to film a promotional video for Pointsbet Sportsbook, a company which he owns a stake and serves as a brand ambassador.

The video shows the former New Orleans Saints quarterback getting ready for a video shoot while the skies are erupting with lightning behind him. The video shows a large, apparent lightning strike blinding the camera and people can be heard shouting.

The video was shared by several prominent sports personalities and sports journalists, but others claimed the video was a "spoof."

THE QUESTION:

Was Drew Brees struck by lightning while filming a promotional video in Venezuela?

THE SOURCES:

  • New Orleans Football's Nick Underhill
  • Pointsbet Sportsbook
  • Drew Brees' social media

THE ANSWER:

This is false.

No, Drew Brees was not struck by lightning. The video was part of a viral marketing campaign.

WHAT WE FOUND

New Orleans Football’s Nick Underhill responded to the Twitter hubbub with a tweet of his own, saying simply, “He’s fine,” and following it up with another tweet that said “Spoof.”

Chase Daniel, who served as a longtime backup behind Brees in New Orleans, shared that Brees was fine.

"Don't worry, @drewbrees is fine. Just texted his wife... all good!" Daniel wrote.

In a post on Instagram, Brees later confirmed that he was "fine."

"The lightning must’ve thought I was wearing a Falcons jersey, that’s why it tried to get me 😂 I’m fine…Who Dat," Brees wrote.

Pointsbet Sportsbook originally shared on Twitter that the company was "aware of the media coverage" about Brees, but declined to offer any other details. The sportsbook recently launched a new live betting feature in October called "Lightning Bets." The company later confirmed that the video was part of some "fun" with Brees to promote the feature.

    

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