It was the DM seen 'round the world. You know the one. Even if you aren't a fan of Maroon 5, you probably saw the screenshots. Adam Levine holy f became an instant, inescapable part of the internet’s vocabulary in late 2022. It wasn't a lyric. It wasn't a movie line. It was a leaked message that felt like it was written by a glitchy AI trying to learn how to flirt—or a very enthusiastic teenager who just discovered the "F" word.
Honestly, it’s been years and people still quote it. Why? Because it’s peak cringe. It’s the kind of celebrity mess that doesn't just fade away into a "where are they now" segment. Instead, it lives on in Discord servers and Twitter (X) threads as a reaction image for literally anything remotely impressive.
The Anatomy of a Viral Disaster
In September 2022, Instagram model Sumner Stroh dropped a bombshell on TikTok. She claimed she had an affair with Levine for about a year. But the real kicker wasn't just the allegation itself—it was the screenshots. Specifically, the ones shared by other women like Maryka, who posted DMs where Levine allegedly wrote: "Holy fck. Holy fcking f*ck. That body of yours is absurd."
He didn't stop there.
The messages were a goldmine of weird phrasing. "I may need to see the booty," was another classic. People were baffled. How does the guy who wrote "She Will Be Loved" have the digital game of a damp paper bag? It felt like a glitch in the simulation.
Here is the thing: Levine was (and is) married to Behati Prinsloo. At the time of the leak, she was pregnant with their third child. That’s the part that moved this from "funny celebrity awkwardness" to "actual public relations nightmare." The juxtaposition of a Victoria’s Secret model wife at home and these frantic, thirsty DMs to influencers was too much for the internet to ignore.
Why "Holy F" Stood Out
Most celebrity scandals involve elaborate lies or dramatic "he-said-she-said" legal battles. This was different. It was just... goofy. The repetition of Adam Levine holy f in those texts felt like someone whose brain had short-circuited.
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- The Repetition: Why say it twice? "Holy fck. Holy fcking f*ck." It’s rhythmic. It’s almost a poem.
- The Word Choice: "Absurd." Not "beautiful," not "stunning." Absurd. Like he was looking at a high-end piece of architecture or a very complex math equation.
- The Verification: These weren't anonymous tips. They came from verified accounts.
Social media users immediately did what they do best: they made it a template. Within 24 hours, people were photoshopping those text bubbles onto photos of lasagna, historic monuments, and Shrek. It became a universal shorthand for being overwhelmed by... well, anything.
The Fallout and the "Line"
Levine didn't stay quiet for long. He posted a statement on Instagram Stories—which, let's be real, is where celebrity reputations go to either die or be resurrected. He denied having an "affair" but admitted he "crossed the line during a regrettable period" of his life.
He basically claimed he was being inappropriate but didn't actually cheat physically. Does that distinction matter to the public? Not really. Most people felt like "crossing the line" while your wife is pregnant is a distinction without a difference.
The most bizarre detail to emerge from Sumner Stroh’s initial video was the claim that Levine asked if he could name his unborn baby "Sumner."
Yeah. Read that again.
"Ok serious question. I’m having another baby and if it’s [a] boy I really wanna name it Sumner. You ok with that? DEAD serious."
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That’s not just a "holy f" moment; that’s a "what on earth were you thinking" moment. It’s the kind of detail that sounds fake until you see the screenshot and realize reality is often weirder than fiction.
The Long-Term Impact on Maroon 5
Did this kill his career? No.
Maroon 5 is a machine. They have a residency in Las Vegas. They still get millions of streams. But the "Adam Levine" brand shifted. He went from the suave, "Sexiest Man Alive" coach on The Voice to the guy who sends weirdly aggressive DMs about "the booty."
It’s a lesson in how E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust) applies to celebrities, too. Once the trust is broken—especially in a way that feels so deeply uncool—it’s hard to get that "suave" image back. Every time he tries to be sexy in a music video now, there is a segment of the audience that just thinks of those leaked texts.
How to Navigate the Meme Today
If you’re still seeing Adam Levine holy f pop up in your feed, it’s usually used in these contexts:
- Gamer Culture: It’s a huge meme in the gaming community. If a new character skin is released or a boss is particularly difficult, you’ll see the text bubbles edited over the game.
- Sarcastic Praise: Used when someone does something mildly impressive, but the recipient wants to mock the over-the-top nature of the original DM.
- PR Case Studies: It’s frequently cited by social media managers as a "what not to do" when you're a public figure with a verified checkmark.
What Most People Get Wrong
People think this was just one girl. It wasn't. After Sumner Stroh went public, several other women—including Alyson Rose and a comedian named Maryka—shared their own experiences. This suggested a pattern of behavior rather than a one-time lapse in judgment.
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Also, despite the internet's insistence that the marriage was over, Behati Prinsloo stayed. They’ve been seen together frequently since, and they welcomed their third child in early 2023. It turns out celebrity marriages are a lot more complicated than a Twitter thread might suggest.
Moving Forward: Lessons in Digital Footprints
If there is one thing to take away from the whole Adam Levine holy f saga, it’s that privacy is a myth once you hit "send."
For regular people, the stakes are lower. For someone like Levine, those ten seconds of impulsivity turned into a permanent stain on his public image. You can't delete a screenshot once it’s in someone else's gallery.
If you're looking to clean up your own digital act or just want to avoid becoming a meme, keep these points in mind:
- Verified Accounts are Magnets: If you have a platform, your DMs are essentially public documents waiting to happen.
- The "Absurd" Test: If what you’re typing would look ridiculous on a t-shirt or a Shrek meme, maybe don't send it.
- Accountability over Semantics: Trying to argue the difference between "an affair" and "inappropriate behavior" usually backfires. People care about the intent, not the technicalities.
The meme might eventually fade, but the internet has a long memory. For now, we're stuck with the "absurd" reality that one of the biggest pop stars in the world is forever linked to a double-f-word exclamation over an Instagram DM.
To stay updated on celebrity culture without the cringe, make sure you're following actual sources rather than just TikTok rumors. Understanding the context behind a meme is the only way to make sure you aren't the one missing the joke.
Check your privacy settings on Instagram. Turn off "Read Receipts" if you’re prone to late-night scrolling. Most importantly, remember that if you have to ask if something is "crossing the line," you’ve probably already crossed it.