New Jersey teen asks Gabby Douglas to prom via You Tube

by Hassan Washington |

Seventeen-year-old high school senior Leon Purvis is at it again.

Last year, Purvis posted a You Tube video asking Justin Bieber to go with him as a “bro” date to his  junior prom.

This year, he has his eyes set on gold-medal gymnast Gabby Douglas. Naturally, he needs a date to his senior prom set for May, 2013. So Purvis went to You Tube one more time and presented his best case to Douglas to accompany him to the dance.

“It’s my senior year and it would mean a lot to me if you were my date to my senior prom,” Purvis pleads in a You Tube video posted last week. The video, which shows Purvis talking straight to camera from a couch, has registered just over one thousand views.

Purvis’ past plea to Bieber stands at more than 150,000 views. Initially, he didn’t receive a reply from the  pop sensation. But he decided to attend his junior prom with Bieber anyway — a life-size cardboard cutout that is.

TheGrio: Gabby Douglas looks forward to 2016 Olympics

After receiving some national attention for his efforts, Purvis eventually caught the attention of Bieber’s manager Scooter Braun:

Braun later arranged for Purvis to meet Bieber on tour. The meeting and subsequent photo op and shoutout helped boost Purvis’ Twitter following. (He has more than 40,000 followers)

Purvis the idea to ask Douglas to prom came to him after watching her feature on ABC’s Barbara Walters ’10 Most Fascinating People of 2012′ special.

He tells ESPN’s Bill Speros:

“When I was watching Barbara Walters, which I watch every year, Barbara asked her if she would like some guy to ask you to his prom, and she said “yes.” When I heard that, I was like, hey, why not do it.”

Purvis has spent much of Tuesday trying to spread the word of his request via Twitter. He’s even tweeted Douglas’ mother, Natalie Hawkins.

“And congratulations on your two Olympic gold medals,” Purvis says in closing during the nearly two-minute video. “And tell me what your favorite song is and I’ll request it at prom and we can slow dance to it.”

Purvis attends Glassboro High School in Glassboro, New Jersey.

theGrio’s Todd Johnson contributed to this report. 

Follow theGrio’s Hassan Washington @HassWash