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Exclusive | Grad who went viral for moonwalking breaks internet again as Michael Jackson biopic released

Nypost · · 451 words · By Angela Barbuti
Youth Achievement Viral Fame Pop Culture Influence
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What to know about Youth Achievement

Grad who went viral for moonwalking breaks internet again as Michael Jackson biopic released He glided through graduation.

Claims checked 13
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center83%
Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Grad who went viral for moonwalking breaks internet again as Michael Jackson biopic released He glided through graduation.

Why it matters

Content creator De’Von Jasper went viral for the Michael Jackson-inspired moonwalk he did on stage as he received his high school diploma — raking in a jaw-dropping 250 million combined views in six months.

Common ground

The Houma, LA, native decided to repost the impressive 2024 clip as the biopic “Michael” was released in theaters just in time for graduation season — and it reeled in another 100 million views in a week.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/16/lifestyle/graduate-who-went-viral-for-moonwalking-…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 13 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 5
schedule Pending 3
verified Verified By Reference 2
help Insufficient Evidence 1
check_circle Corroborated 1
verified Verified 1
help
Claim 1: “Jasper revealed he is now a friend of MJ’s son Prince, whom he met through social media”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for the claim regarding Prince Jackson.
info
Claim 2: “Content creator De’Von Jasper went viral for the Michael Jackson-inspired moonwalk he did on stage as he received his high school diploma”
SINGLE SOURCE
One web search result from India Today confirms Devon Jasper turned his 2024 graduation walk into a Michael Jackson-inspired performance. However, the other provided search results for this claim are irrelevant (definitions of 'DE').
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — DE, abbreviation for the U.S. State of Delaware, used by the United States Postal Service and others DE postcode area, for Derby and surrounding areas of England
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DE
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Looking for the definition of DE? Find out what is the full meaning of DE on Abbreviations.com! 'DEutschland (Germany)' is one option -- get in to view more @ The Web's largest and most authoritative …
https://www.abbreviations.com/DE
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Go DE is a secure digital hub for accessing services from more than 100 Delaware agencies. Visitors can make payments, apply for grants, licenses and more, all in one place!
https://de.gov/
info
Claim 3: “In the viral clip, set to the King of Pop’s song “Billie Jean,””
SINGLE SOURCE
India Today mentions the performance was set to 'Billie Jean'. The Wikipedia result provided for this claim is about the surname 'Hall' and is irrelevant.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Hall is a surname of Anglo-Celtic origin.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hall_(surname)
verified
Claim 4: “raking in a jaw-dropping 250 million combined views in six months”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
While India Today confirms the clip drew 'millions of views', there is no evidence in the provided results specifically confirming the '250 million combined views in six months' figure.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of Texas A&M Aggies football players in the NFL draft.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Texas_A&M_Aggies_in_th…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Devon Jasper turned his 2024 graduation walk into a Michael Jackson-inspired performance set to Billie Jean. The resurfaced clip has drawn millions of views.
https://www.indiatoday.in/trending-news/story/students-micha…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Discover videos related to Graduation Boy Moon Walking on TikTok. Last updated 2024-09-09.
https://www.tiktok.com/discover/graduation-boy-moon-walking
+ 1 more evidence source
info
Claim 5: “The Houma, LA, native decided to repost the impressive 2024 clip”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provided for this claim consists of dictionary definitions and Wikipedia entries for the abbreviation 'DE', which do not mention De'Von Jasper's place of birth.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — DE, abbreviation for the U.S. State of Delaware, used by the United States Postal Service and others DE postcode area, for Derby and surrounding areas of England
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DE
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — DE definition: from; of (used in French, Spanish, and Portuguese personal names, originally to indicate place of origin). See examples of de used in a sentence.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/de
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Prefix derived from Latin de- "from, down, away" and Latin dis-, literally, "apart"
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/DE
check_circle
Claim 6: “the biopic “Michael” was released in theaters”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm a biopic titled 'Michael' exists. One source explicitly states it was released in theaters on April 24, and another mentions it as a 2026 film (indicating a release window or production timeline).
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Michael is a 2026 American musical biographical drama film directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_(2026_film)
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Michael Jackson biopic is in the works. It is helmed by Graham King, the Academy Award nominated producer of Bohemian Rhapsody. Here's everything to know about the release date, filming, cast, and oth…
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/m…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Michael was released in theaters on April 24, and prior to it being released to the general public, several stars walked the red carpet in Los Angeles to get a first look at the film.
https://clutchpoints.com/entertainment/bam-adebayo-travis-hu…
schedule
Claim 7: “Prince even invited him to the Jackson home in Encino, CA, for a private “Thriller”-themed party”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
verified
Claim 8: “it reeled in another 100 million views in a week”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence contains general information about TikTok views and MrBeast, but nothing specifically linking 100 million views in one week to De'Von Jasper's reposted clip.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of Texas A&M Aggies football players in the NFL draft.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Texas_A&M_Aggies_in_th…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Publishers Weekly’s list of AI companies.
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/p…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — After 48 hours, we were at 3 million views on TikTok alone, and with the boost, the numbers continued to soar, making the reel the most viewed among it's category +51 000 likes, 100% positive sentimen…
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/benjelloun-ghita-91425938_the…
+ 1 more evidence source
schedule
Claim 9: “where Jasper met Michael’s longtime choreographer, Travis Payne”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 10: “his principal at H. L. Bourgeois High School had a strong suspicion he would”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provided for this claim consists of dictionary definitions and Wikipedia entries for the abbreviation 'DE', which do not mention H. L. Bourgeois High School.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — DE, abbreviation for the U.S. State of Delaware, used by the United States Postal Service and others DE postcode area, for Derby and surrounding areas of England
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DE
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — DE definition: from; of (used in French, Spanish, and Portuguese personal names, originally to indicate place of origin). See examples of de used in a sentence.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/de
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Prefix derived from Latin de- "from, down, away" and Latin dis-, literally, "apart"
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/DE
verified
Claim 11: “The now-20-year-old told The Post”
VERIFIED
Famous Birthdays explicitly lists Devon Jasper's age as 20 years old.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2010 Navy Midshipmen football team represented the United States Naval Academy as an independent during the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Midshipmen, led by third-year head coach K…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Navy_Midshipmen_football_…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of Texas A&M Aggies football players in the NFL draft.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Texas_A&M_Aggies_in_th…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2009 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 49th in the National Football League (NFL) and their fourth under head coach Brad Childress. The Vikings improved upon their 10–6 record and defended their N…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Minnesota_Vikings_season
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 12: “which Jacko’s official social media accounts shared”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence mentions De'Von Jasper's Instagram and general Michael Jackson music, but does not confirm that Michael Jackson's official accounts shared the clip.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — De’von Jasper @blackrambotv on instagram does Michael Jackson’s Dangerous dance at Black History Month Program.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=452WzmDnvnQ
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Michael Jackson - Dirty Diana, Smooth Criminal, Beat It, # Michael Jackson - Billie Jean, Michael jackson ft Iniko - They Dont Care About Us, GODHANDUSA - MICHAEL JACKSON, Michael Jackson - Billie Jea…
https://lightaudio.ru/mp3/michael+jackson
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Michael Jackson has landed 2 songs in the Top 10 of the Shazam Global Chart, peaking at No. 7! Across those appearances, Michael Jackson has spent a combined 13 days on the chart. SONG.
https://www.shazam.com/artist/michael-jackson/32940
schedule
Claim 13: “The college student, who is majoring in moving image arts and minoring in dance at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.