Chicago-based journalist Ana Belaval had a major fangirl moment after a live satellite interview with Ricky Martin ― and she didn’t realize the superstar was still listening.
Martin spoke to WGN Morning News last week about his role in FX’s “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.” Belaval joined the interview to ask the actor and singer about his hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico.
The Puerto Rican reporter thanked the artist for helping the island, said goodbye and proceeded to jump around and freak out on camera. Martin could not see her, but unbeknownst to her, he could still hear her.
“I seriously went very berserk on Dean Richards because you have to understand, when you’re part of a minority and you don’t have a lot of role models in media, and you have a Ricky Martin that wherever you go in the world, it’s a good name to mention as a Puerto Rican ― oh my goodness you feel related to him,” she said.
As Belaval continued to enthusiastically discuss the interview, Martin chimed in, “That’s beautiful. I love what I’m hearing.”
The reporter responded, shocked, “Oh he’s still there?!” She then addressed the WGN anchors, saying, “I’m going to kill you!”
“Please, I don’t want to be involved in another ‘American Crime Story,’” Martin joked.
The video went viral over the weekend, and Belaval spoke with NPR about the moment in an interview published Sunday. The reporter revealed she’s been a Ricky Martin fan since his time with the boy band Menudo and just wanted to thank him for helping Puerto Ricans after the storm.
“I have had so many missed opportunities to meet him,” she told NPR host Lulu Garcia-Navarro. “And honestly, after Hurricane Maria, when the local government was running around like headless chickens, these performers just went to work ― right? ― put boots on the ground. And he was ― I will never forget. No one could get to Aguadilla. And he got a FedEx plane to Aguadilla, which is on the west coast of the island, to go help people who really needed it. And so that just elevated him in my eyes.”
Watch Belaval’s fangirl moment in the video above.