Even Sinbad's Kids Are Tired of The Mandela Effect Misconception He Was In A Genie Movie Called 'Shazam'

After nearly three decades of fans falsely insisting he starred as a genie in a non-existent 90's family comedy entitled Shazaam, it seems comedian Sinbad and his family have three wishes – for you, me, and everyone else to shut the hell up about the fictional film. 

Often credited as a popular example of the Mandela Effect, a phenomenon in which people or groups of people perceive false or altered memories as fact, including the misconception that The Berenstain Bears was actually spelled Berenstein, and its namesake, in which hundreds of people say they remember Nelson Mandela dying in prison in the ‘80s, Sinbad’s kids are here to make it clear that Shazaam “did not happen."

“Get over it," the beloved actor's daughter, Page Bryan told NBCLX in a recent interview. 

While it's unclear how, exactly, this confusion began, there are some hints along the way. Aside from Sinbad's stint in Nickelodeon's sketch comedy series,  All That in which he wore what Bryan describes as his “very genie-ish” wardrobe, including his signature harem pants, and a Sinbad the Sailor special, in which he wore an outfit some associate with the fake film, many consider the all-too-real 1996 flick, Kazaam a notable catalyst for this phenomenon. Starring NBA legend, Shaquille O’Neil – and definitely not Sinbad – the film's plot is similar to the fictitious picture, featuring the basketball player as a genie who grants a teenage boy three wishes after appearing from a very enchanted (and very '90s) boom box.

“My dad and Shaq—people confuse them all the time,” Bryan explained of her father's pervasive case of mistaken identity. “Our dad has been mistaken for Shaquille O'Neal more times than makes logical sense," she continued. “Now people will be like, ‘Oh no, I'm not talking about ‘Kazam.’ I'm talking about your dad's .’”

However, according to Bryan, there is one demographic in particular who has clung tightly to the non-existent memory, Millennials, who are evidently keeping the Kazaam Mandela effect industry alive and well, evidently sacrificing industries like diamonds, canned tuna, and cable TV to keep its flame burning. 

“All of a sudden my peer group was like, ‘hey, remember that movie your dad did when he was a genie?,’” Bryan recalled, noting that she first caught wind of the fake film in her mid 20's.  

So, folks, although Shazaam may not be real, at least we have this vintage CollegeHumor sketch to help us through our genie-less trying times. 

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