Savannah Bananas’ Robert Cruz Breaks Silence on CNN Backflip Fail
Quinn Parker here, and I have had approximately seven espressos too many and a tidal wave of feels about Savannah Bananas star Robert Anthony Cruz face-planting live on CNN. On July 24, Cruz attempted his signature backflip during a live hit with CNN anchors, only to under-rotate, slip, and crash onto the studio floor in full view of morning viewers. The clip went viral within minutes, complete with the horrifying crunch of his landing amplified by studio mics.
Not one to wallow in shame, the 26-year-old slugger addressed the world in a series of Instagram posts issued the same day. In his Instagram Story, Cruz declared “you have my full permission to laugh,” admitting “I can’t not laugh every time I watch it too. With the sound, it’s crazy.” That self-awareness, courtesy of Cruz’s own social media playbook, turned an epic flop into an instant hit on replay.
In a follow-up video on his Instagram feed, Cruz clarified that he actually executes flips hundreds of times on the baseball field—often while catching a ball—and even nailed a backflip catch on live NFL Live at ESPN headquarters just months before. “I have done tens of thousands of backflips in my life. I had zero reason to doubt my abilities,” he explained. The critical misstep, he revealed, was taking a field stunt into a blindingly bright TV studio. “When you do a flip, you are looking for the ground while rotating. I saw a bright light in my face, lost orientation, and under-rotated. Plus, my feet slipped.”
Cruz then recounted the moment he realized his face had met the unforgiving floor. “Next thing I know, I am on the floor, rattled and confused. I felt blood dripping down my lip and chin.” Fortunately, a doctor on set administered stitches immediately, sealing up the wounds on his lip and chin. “Aside from my damaged pride, I didn’t sustain any actually serious injuries,” he concluded, offering relief to fans worried about his health.
If you think that’s wild, buckle up for more celebrity near-miss tales. Jamie Lynn Spears once thought she lost her daughter Maddie after an ATV flipped into a Louisiana pond in 2017, only for the 8-year-old to surface unharmed days later, as Jamie Lynn shared on the 2020 Maria Menounos Better Together podcast. Actress Rebel Wilson had a freak accident on her Brides Hard set when a gun accidentally struck her face, leading to a dramatic ambulance ride and plastic surgeon repairs, according to her June 2025 chat with Access Hollywood. And late-night king Jimmy Fallon nearly lost a finger after a fall at home caused a ring avulsion that required ten days in the hospital.
There you have it: flips, falls, stitches, and a flood of social media reactions. I swear, I could talk about this all day but my caffeine buzz is wearing off and I need a refill.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! Online, CNN, ESPN, Maria Menounos Better Together, Access Hollywood
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
