A blonde woman in a white suit stood in a White House hallway on January 17, 2020, surrounded by LSU Tigers football players. The bass line of a 1992 New Orleans bounce track dropped, and she moved. No hesitation, no awkwardness, just pure confidence while dancing to “Get the Gat” alongside athletes half her age.
The video hit 11 million views before the day ended. Millions of people asked the same question: who is she?
Her daughter answered on Twitter within hours. “it would be my mother,” Brooke Bordelon posted, solving the mystery but raising more questions about how a 45 year old woman ended up leading a viral TikTok dance inside the most famous building in America.
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The LSU Connection Runs Three Generations Deep
Gemi Gremillion Bordelon was born February 1, 1975, in Louisiana. She married Ben Bordelon in 1999, and their family tree reads like an LSU football roster.
Ben played offensive lineman for the Tigers from 1993 to 1996. He earned second team All SEC honors as a senior, captained the team in 1996, then spent one season with the San Diego Chargers. After his NFL stint ended in 1997, he returned home to Louisiana and eventually joined Bollinger Shipyards, the company his grandfather founded in 1946.
Their three children all followed the purple and gold path. Daughter Brooke graduated from LSU in 2020 with a degree in Sports Commerce and Mass Communication. She married Grant Gauthreaux in 2022 and now works as Deputy Clerk at the House Rules Committee in Washington.
Sons Bo and Brett both play offensive lineman for LSU. Bo joined the team in 2022 after playing at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, where he protected quarterback Arch Manning’s blind side. Brett followed his brother to Baton Rouge in 2025. Both sons stand over 6 feet 5 inches and weigh close to 300 pounds, continuing their father’s legacy in the trenches.
Ben now serves as President and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards, overseeing more than 3,700 employees across Louisiana and Mississippi. The company builds vessels for the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy, with revenues around $1 billion. He took over leadership from his uncle, Donald “Boysie” Bollinger, in 2014.
The family lives in Raceland, located in Lafourche Parish, the same area where former LSU coach Ed Orgeron grew up.
How a 28 Year Old Song Became a Championship Anthem
“Get the Gat” came out in 1992. Lil Elt recorded the track with producer KLC, shouting out New Orleans neighborhoods like the 3rd Ward, 10th Ward, 12th Ward, and Magnolia over a driving bounce beat. The song sold 30,000 copies out of car trunks in the 1990s, then faded from mainstream attention for nearly three decades.
An LSU student named Shawn Taylor changed that. Taylor, known as Subtweet Shawn on social media, started posting dance videos during the 2019 season. Tigers players Grant Delpit, Ja’Marr Chase, and Justin Jefferson saw his content and wanted in. The “Get the Gat Challenge” was born.
LSU went undefeated during the regular season, demolishing opponents while dancing to Lil Elt after every win. The team beat Oklahoma in the Peach Bowl, then crushed Clemson 42 to 25 in the National Championship game on January 13, 2020. Four days later, they arrived at the White House.
The video from that hallway spread faster than any locker room celebration. Gemi Bordelon danced alongside future NFL stars, looking completely comfortable in a setting where most people would freeze. She knew the moves. She matched their energy. She belonged there.
Social media detectives went to work immediately. Some guessed she was a White House staffer. Others thought she worked for LSU athletics. Brooke’s tweet settled the speculation, but it raised another question: why was Ben Bordelon’s wife at the White House with the team?
The answer is simple. The Bordelon family has deep connections to Louisiana’s congressional delegation. Ben’s role leading one of the state’s largest employers gives him access to political circles. When LSU celebrated their championship, the Bordelons were part of that celebration.
The Song Hit 100 Million Views Across Platforms
Lil Elt didn’t officially release “Get the Gat” on streaming platforms until February 2020, riding the wave of viral attention. The track hit nearly 10 million streams in less than two months. He filmed an official music video featuring cameos from Snoop Dogg, Odell Beckham Jr., Marshmello, and the LSU football team.
Snoop Dogg played the song during a DJ set at Fred’s Bar in Baton Rouge in March 2020, dancing along while the crowd went wild. The bounce classic had found new life, 28 years after its release.
Mississippi State players trolled LSU by dancing to “Get the Gat” after beating the Tigers 44 to 34 in September 2020. The song had become so associated with LSU that opponents used it as trash talk.
The LSU baseball team recreated the White House dance video in 2025 after winning the College World Series. When Tigers teams visit Washington, the tradition continues.
Privacy Over Fame
Gemi Bordelon had a choice after going viral. She could have built a social media following, done interviews, or capitalized on her moment of fame. She chose none of those options.
Her Instagram account, @realgemibordelon, sits private with about 3,400 followers. She hasn’t posted publicly since January 2020, when she shared a thank you message to Ben. No TikTok account exists. No media appearances followed the viral video.
Brooke occasionally posts family photos on her Instagram, showing Gemi at weddings, LSU games, and birthday celebrations. Those glimpses reveal someone who prefers family gatherings to public attention.
The decision to stay private speaks louder than any interview could. Bordelon participated in an authentic moment of joy and celebration, then stepped back. The video exists as a snapshot of genuine happiness, untainted by attempts to extend or profit from viral fame.
Where She Is Now
Gemi Bordelon turned 50 in February 2025 and she’s about to be 60 in just a month. She watches her sons play football for LSU, attends family events, and maintains her private life in Raceland. Bo entered his junior season in 2024, having appeared in 29 games with one start. Brett joined the roster in 2025 as a freshman.
The White House dance video still circulates on social media. New LSU fans discover it each year, asking the same question millions asked in January 2020: who is that woman?
She’s a mother who showed up to celebrate with her football family. She’s a wife supporting her husband’s connections to the university he played for. She’s a Louisiana native who knew every word to a New Orleans bounce track that most of America had never heard.
Gemi Bordelon didn’t plan to become famous. She danced in a White House hallway because the moment called for it. That authenticity, that willingness to be fully present without worrying about cameras or consequences, is exactly why 11 million people couldn’t look away.
