Warning: this article discusses domestic abuse.
The nature of internet trends means that a news story can easily surprise you. You see a trending topic on social media and click on it, only to find out that it isn’t trending for the reason you thought. And this is what social media users are discovering today when they realize just why Ricky Martin is trending.
Earlier today, it was confirmed that the famous singer is being accused of incest. This comes after a domestic abuse restraining order was filed against Martin in a court in Puerto Rico. For a time, the petitioner was unknown. However, it has now been alleged that Martin’s 21-year-old nephew, Dennis Yadiel Sanchez was the one who took out the order. However, Martin has denied these claims in a post made on Twitter.
Social media users were confused, with people unsure how to react to such news. The allegations are quite serious and come as a shock to many who have come to know Martin as a fairly wholesome public figure overall.
One user summed up the confusion with a post saying: “Wait a damn minute!! Ricky Martin was having an incestuous affair with his nephew?! Like, his blood kin?! What in the VC Andrews Flowers in the Attic hell is this?!”
While another user summed it up much more succinctly with a simple tweet that reads: “Ricky Martin doing WHAT.”
One of the most popular tweets featured a video with someone saying: “Guess where you going. To jail. You’re going to jail bitch. Period,” which summed up the general feeling on social media.
Many social media posters used the story to point out how surprising Twitter trending topics can be, especially the ones that don’t get a description or explanation on the trending page. As those who clicked on Ricky Martin, likely expecting a retro-pop nostalgia fest, were greeted with the harrowing story.
This is best summed up by one tweet that features a picture of a confused dog with the caption: “Me finding out why Ricky Martin is trending.”
Another user posted: “Opened the internet today only to learn why people were talking about Ricky Martin,” and accompanied it with a classic meme that really sums up the social media experience.
Many Twitter citizens used the moment to engage in hyperbole, arguing that this news, along with the other big stories of the week, is proof that the world should end. One user posted: “Ricky Martin banging his 21-year-old nephew and Elon Musk father having a baby with his step daughter. When’s the meteor coming again?”
This was echoed by several other users who presented a similar idea in a different way. One popular tweet summed up many users’ thoughts by posting: “Ricky Martin was fucking his 21 year old nephew and Elon Musk’s father is having a baby with his stepdaughter. Girl what is going awwn.”
If you know someone suffering from sexual violence, contact RAINN or the National Sexual Abuse Telephone Hotline at 1-800-If you are experiencing domestic abuse, or if you believe someone you know is being abused, contact The National Domestic Violence Hotline. The hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-SAFE or spoken with online via the hotline’s website. Mobile phone owners can also text “START” to the number 88788.