A video appeared to depict the former quarterback being struck by lightning during a commercial shoot before being debunked.
A video that appeared to show former Saints quarterback Drew Brees being struck by lightning while shooting a promo for PointsBet sportsbook lit up social media on Friday morning, until it was finally confirmed as fake by Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer and others.
From the start, whether or not the video was real, it seemed very troublesome for PointsBet. Either the company chose to send Brees and other staff into dangerous conditions and risked getting them hurt for a commercial, or they opted for a viral gag that left some wondering whether the 43-year-old quarterback had been injured or even killed for hours before reporters reached out to confirm his safety. Eventually, Brees and PointsBet both laughed off the situation on social media.
The stunt certainly drew attention to the sportsbook, but likely not the kind that they wanted. People within the sports world were pretty incensed by the entire situation.
Luckily Brees is O.K. and the worst that happened here was some brutal P.R. for a brand that thought it was being clever.