While they may appear dangerous, many circus stunts and illusions are not as death-defying as they seem.
This is for a few reasons. First, any performer has an interest in being able to do their show again and again. This means that they don’t want to do anything too risky, as it will compromise their ability to perform in the future.
Second, doing something genuinely dangerous can put the audience in a bad position if something goes wrong. This is one of the reasons why many magicians insist that, while stunts may look incredible, they are actually carefully controlled, with little being able to go wrong in a manner that causes danger.
That said, mistakes do happen. When they do, the consequences can be severe, as one TikTok user learned during a trip to the circus.
What Happened During This Trip To The Circus?
In a video with over 252,000 views, TikTok user JaLeisa Haynes (@jleisa.haynes) shows her husband on stage at the Garden Bros Circus.
The act appears to involve putting a bag over the husband’s head. From there, a clown acts as though he’s thrown a knife between the man’s legs. However, in reality, an assistant has simply stabbed the knife between the legs.
The problem? According to Haynes, the trick went awry.
“Its the one year Anniversary of when my husband was stabbed in the leg AT THE CIRCUS,” she writes in the caption. “Like really! I didnt even know they used real knives. Needless to say he wont be a volunteer for anything ever again.”
In a comment, Haynes says her husband is now “doing fine.” Responding to another comment asking if he sued the circus, Haynes said they are “currently battling now.”
What Should One Do In This Situation?
At the time, Haynes posted on Facebook that the incident required a trip to the emergency room.
“So Feb 7th my husband and I took the family out to Garden Bros Circus in Little Rock for our youngest child bday. What should’ve been an awesome family night with dinner to follow turned into an ambulance ride and a 4.5 hr stay in the emergency room,” the post reads.
“My husband was chosen from the crowd to volunteer in a skit which ended with him being stabbed in the leg, sprawled out on the gravel outside the circus,and a very expensive ambulance ride,” she continued. “What a way to ruin family night. Needless to say I dont think any of our children feel the same about the circus again.”
Haynes has not elaborated as to which legal avenues are being pursued. That said, there could be a case made for personal-injury or negligence. A negligence claim would question whether the circus failed to use reasonable care during the act and whether that failure caused the injury shown in the video.
If one is injured during a performance in which they have been called onstage, it is advised to first seek treatment for the injury. Then, they can pursue a legal resolution to the issue.
Commenters Are Shocked
In the Facebook comments section, users could not believe their eyes.
“I thought that was part of the skit!!! Was the clown drunk how could you miss that close!!!!! And stabbed that man hard surely they paying for that! They have insurance to cover that type of thing too ???” questioned a commenter.
“They need to take this skit out of the show. Looks pointless. He knew he stabbed him. How could he not?” offered another. “So sorry this happened to your family.”
“I would’ve fell on that stage making a scene for my coins,” declared a third.
@jleisa.haynes Its the one year Anniversary of when my husband was stabbed in the leg AT THE CIRCUS. Like really! I didnt even know they used real knives. Needless to say he wont be a volunteer for anything ever again #haynesnaround #circus #gardenbroscircus #familytime #newfearunlocked
BroBible reached out to Haynes via Instagram and Facebook direct message and to Garden Bros Circus via email.