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Is Drew Brees OK? Fans worried as NFL star appears to be struck by lightning in viral video

Drew Brees was apparently shooting a commercial near the Catatumbo river in Venezuela, where lightning strikes are common

Former NFL quarterback Drew Brees appeared to be struck by lightning while filming a commercial for the PointsBet sports book. The commercial was apparently shot near the Catatumbo River, where lightning strikes are frequent. The quarterback is seen getting mic'd up and preparing for the shoot in a video that has since gone viral. The setting appears to be outdoors with a rainstorm in the distance, although it isn't clear if it is a set. 

The video was shared on Twitter overnight. In a statement, PointsBet said, "We are aware of the media publicity about PointsBet brand ambassador Drew Brees. We are in communication with Brees' team and will continue to monitor events throughout the coming hours. At this stage, we will not be making any further comment," CNBC News reported.

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The video shows the lightning strike, and the film stops amid a commotion. Brees tweeted on Monday that he was "excited to be flying to a top-secret location later this week to shoot the new promotional video for @PointBetUSA."

The video led to speculation on Twitter, with several users expressing concern for Drew Brees. Someone wrote, "Drew Brees tweeted earlier this week that he was "flying to a top-secret location" for a promo video for PointsBet. Now this video comes out and PointsBet responds with a statement. I hope Drew is okay. All that matters right now."

Another user wrote, "What in the world? Drew Brees apparently struck by lightning overnight while filming a commercial in Venezuela. If legit, hope he's okay, seeing few details at this time." Someone else added, "Drew Brees apparently was struck by lightning while filming a PointsBet commercial in Venezuela." "I truly hope Drew Brees is okay. If this is fake we should all boycott PointsBet forever," a tweet read.

However, Brees is "OK," according to sports journalist Nick Underhill, who termed the video a "spoof." While reliable information is sparse as yet, fans are hopeful Drew is safe in either case.

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