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Basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal was once good friends with G.W. Zoo owner Joe Exotic, and some of the alligators at Joe's zoo were once owned by Michael Jackson . But the most surprising connection of all concerns the one and only Britney Spears. Most fans will remember her iconic snake-dangling performance at the 2001 Video Music Awards, but what you didn't know is that the snake Spears carried was owned by Myrtle Beach Safari owner Doc Antle .
And in an even bigger twist, Antle briefly appears on stage during the performance. Spears first came out on stage in a cage with a tiger, and Antle is seen at the back of the cage, presumably to make sure that nothing went wrong with the bag cat. You can see him in the background of the photos below:
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2001 MTV VMA Awards
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2001 MTV Video Music Awards - Show
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A fan on Twitter also posted a clear shot of Antle and Spears before the performance started:
Britney Spears before the VMAs. With Doc Antle. Goodbye. pic.twitter.com/CoqsoUmovB Ben Yahr (@benyahr)
There's also another unsubstantiated rumor that the woman sitting next to Spears at the 2002 VMAs is Carole Baskin , but it's currently unknown if it's actually her or just someone that also really likes to wear animal print.