Early on Friday, news broke that ex-NFL QB Drew Brees was struck by lightning while filming a TV commercial, but hours later Brees revealed that it didn’t actually happen.

But, worse, according to a video obtained by TMZ Sports, it now seems clear that it was all a publicity stunt.

Brees was filming a commercial outdoors for PointsBet sports book. Video of the incident seemed to show that a lightning strike hit near where Brees was standing.

Not long after social media began ginning up the “lightning strike,” Brees came out and admitted that he was not actually struck by lightning.

But TMZ found that the whole thing is a publicity stunt aimed at getting people talking about the sportsbook operation.

The former QB posted a video recorded from Venezuela flogging PointsBet sports book’s new “free lightning bets.”

Brees’ video was recorded as he sat in the back of an ambulance and as it ended, he jumped out of the ambulance and is again “struck by lightning” in a cartoon-like style.

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