Remember the woman whose head looked like it was literally smoking in a now-viral video? That’s Tracey Cooke—and yes, she’s real, and no, it wasn’t AI.
Cooke sat down with Tamron Hall recently to finally share the hilarious—and surprisingly heartfelt—story behind the moment that left the internet steaming with questions.
“It was just a regular football game,” Cooke told Tamron. She and her sister Michelle were there to support her nephew Jahlil, a marching band member. “We usually sit at the bottom [of the bleachers], but for some unforeseen reason, she wanted us to sit at the top.”
That higher elevation, some fries, and a sudden hot flash combined into one unforgettable moment.
“I told my sister, ‘I feel hot. I’m having a hot flash.’” Moments later, Cooke took off her hat—and Michelle couldn’t believe what she saw. Steam poured off Cooke’s scalp as sweat condensed in the cool 60-degree air. “She said, ‘If you take your hat off, your head’s gonna be smoking.’ And she was right!”
Michelle did what any good sister would do: pulled out her phone and hit record.
“I didn’t think it would go viral,” Cooke said, adding that she and her sister are always snapping pics and videos. “It was just a lot of smoke coming out.”
The moment struck a nerve.
Women around the world saw themselves in Tracey’s experience. The video has since racked up more than 85 million views globally.
“Any woman who knows, knows,” Tamron said. “This is what we go through.”
Since then, Tracey has become an unlikely menopause awareness ambassador.
“I’m just grateful to be used as a vessel to bring awareness to menopause, which is something we don’t talk about,” she said.
The steam may have come and gone—but the conversation Tracey Cooke ignited is here to stay.
