‘RHONJ’ Star Danielle Cabral Performs For Britney Spears In Resurfaced ‘TRL’ Clip From 2003: “Major Cringe”

By Samantha Nungesser @samjnungesser
Published July 24, 2024, 1:53 p.m. ET

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Danielle Cabral

Long before she was on Bravo, The Real Housewives of New Jersey star Danielle Cabral starred on MTV’s TRL, where she performed for the one and only Britney Spears. Now, more than 20 years after winning the title of the pop star’s No. 1 fan, a clip from Cabral’s “cringey” rap song has resurfaced on social media — and she has no regrets.

Cabral is 16 years old in the 2003 clip, in which she’s wearing a sideways hat and a pair of embellished low-cut jeans (a foreshadowing of Boujie Kidz, perhaps?). After gushing over how much Spears “inspires” her, she busts out into a rap about the singer’s life, from her upbringing in Louisiana to her relationship with Justin Timberlake.

As Cabral prances around the stage and loudly declares her love for Spears with her extremely recognizable voice, the “Baby One More Time” singer keeps a smile plastered across her face, though, at times, she appears to widen her eyes in confusion.

The video is currently making rounds on X (formerly known as Twitter), where some Bravo fans are slamming the “cringey” performance.

“I’m so confused. Why is she just yelling random Brit facts? Even Brit looks confused 😕,” one wrote, while another added, “Sooooo she’s always been this cringy 😂.”

A third person said, “Major cringe. Danielle’s performance would put anyone in a conservatorship.”

Others, however, explained that Cabral’s stint was “peak MTV television.”

“This is why I ride for Danielle Cabral,” one wrote, while someone else said, “Danielle has earned a few points in my book for this but this also confirms that she’s always wanted to be famous and does stuff for attention.”

Cabral, for her part, attempted to get ahead of the haters by shamelessly reenacting her performance on Instagram. She explained in her caption that she “cried” when she found out she was chosen to “compete on stage for the title of Britney’s” No. 1 fan when she was a teen.

“I rushed home and wrote my ‘rap’ on paper and memorized it. Practicing day and night. We filmed in Times Square. My parents weren’t allowed in the studio, so they watched from home,” she wrote. “Sound check time. Then we heard it. ‘Hey y’all, test one teww, test one teww.’ My heart skipped a beat. I teared up. At the age of 16, I somehow got my way on a stage to perform for Britney Spears.”

The reality star ended up winning the competition, which she described as “one of the most memorable experiences” in her life.

“I’m seeing old MTV clips going around, and I love it!” she added. “They are probably posting to try and embarrass me or make fun of this moment, but for a kid in 2003, this was THE TOP! I will cherish this memory for the rest of my life!”

Check out the full clip above.