Comedian Sinbad may have been a genie in some alternate universe within your minds, but it looks like his children are reminding y’all this actually did not happen and they have only one wish—“get over it.”
If you recall correctly (which could be up for debate given this Sinbad phenomenon), former NBA player and current sports analyst Shaquille O’Neal starred in a 1996 film called Kazaam, where he played a tall-ass genie. Awwww, nostalgia!
Yet, there is a sizable chunk of folks who swear up and down that Sinbad starred in a ‘90s movie named Shazam where he portrayed a genie (this is also not to be confused with the 2019 DC Comics film Shazam!). It’s an ongoing ball of confusion that routinely trends on social media—especially because most people can actually recall detailed scenes from this supposed movie.
This is known as “the Mandela effect.” According to Heathline, the Mandela effect “occurs when a large group of people believe an event occurred when it did not.” As you’ve probably surmised by now, the term was named after the late great Nelson Mandela because a self-described “paranormal consultant” Fiona Broome said she remembered that Mandela had died in prison in the 1980s, when in reality, he didn’t die until 2013. There are several examples of the Mandela effect throughout pop culture, including in commercial branding, such as “Looney Toons vs. Looney Tunes” or “Fruit Loops vs. Froot Loops.”
Heathline provides more context:
Another way to describe the Mandela effect is “collective false memories.” A large group of people collectively always say a particular saying or memory a certain way when, in reality, the truth is different from the memory.
Conspiracy theorists believe the Mandela effect is an example of alternate universes present in society. However, doctors have a much different explanation of memory, and how some memories, although vivid, can be false.
Anyway, Sinbad’s children are tired of y’all spreading this rumor and are here to crush your Mandela effect dreams! HAHA, in all seriousness, they really did recently join NBCLX (hey, y’all!) to discuss how often folks mistake their dad for Shaquille.
From NBCLX:
It “did not happen,” his daughter Paige Bryan told NBCLX. “Get over it.”
But if you’re “absolutely certain” you’ve seen Sinbad galavanting across the silver screen in a genie outfit with a duo of young kids who need some cheering up, you aren’t the only one.
Sinbad’s son Royce Adkins said even “people the closest to us who know everything about our family” have sometimes second guessed whether the movie exists.
“Our dad has been mistaken for Shaquille O’Neal more times than makes logical sense,” Paige added.