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Culture December 20, 2019

Aly Raisman to the rescue after holiday party prank

WATCH: Aly Raisman opens up about winning the ESPY's Arthur Ashe Courage award

Aly Raisman saved the holidays for a fan who opened a gag gift that involved the two-time Olympic gymnast.

Murphy Siegel of Boston, Massachusetts, was on the receiving end of the Secret Santa present, a "signed" poster of Raisman, at his office party Wednesday.

The 24-year-old was at first excited to get the poster, until he realized it was all a sham orchestrated by his colleagues.

"It was written in marker and looked like a signature," Siegel, an account coordinator at integrated marketing and PR firm The Belfort Group told "Good Morning America." "Then I read the rest of the note. It said, 'To my future husband. Love, Aly Raisman. I said, 'Oh, this is a good prank.'"

My coworker just gave me a “signed” photo of @Aly_Raisman for secret santa and I discovered he actually signed it just to see my reaction... I was (am) sad. pic.twitter.com/Hplclr17gc

— Murphy H Siegel (@MurphyHSiegel) December 18, 2019
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(MORE: Aly Raisman on how she defines 'being strong' since becoming an advocate for sexual abuse survivors)

Siegel, a Jewish man, said his adoration for Raisman began when he was watching the 2012 Summer Olympics and she performed her floor routine to the Jewish folk song "Hava Nagila."

"From there, it was a running joke -- she was my celebrity crush," Siegel said. "I admire her, too, everything she's done off the gymnastics floor. She's leading what it looks like to be an athlete today and what it means to represent the country."

Siegel said his colleagues are aware of his love for Raisman, which is why the poster idea was born.

PHOTO: Alexandra Raisman won the bronze medal in the beam apparatus finals at North Greenwich Arena during the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, August 7, 2012.
David Eulitt/Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Alexandra Raisman won the bronze medal in the beam apparatus finals at North Greenwich Arena during the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, August 7, 2012.

After he opened the gag gift, Siegel tweeted to Raisman a photo of himself that captured his obvious disappointment.

"My coworker just gave me a 'signed' photo of @Aly_Raisman for secret santa and I discovered he actually signed it just to see my reaction... I was (am) sad," he wrote.

America doesn’t deserve Aly Raisman.

You rock. @Aly_Raisman https://t.co/SJboPCVqWH

— Murphy H Siegel (@MurphyHSiegel) December 19, 2019
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Within a few hours, Raisman replied to Siegel's tweet. The 25-year-old star shared a contact email and offered to send him a new gift.

"I was thinking, 'She has to find it funny' and low and behold, my phone blew up," Siegel said. "I don't have a big Twitter following. I'm not quite sure what made her point me out."

PHOTO: Aly Raisman attends the premiere of Columbia Pictures' "Charlie's Angels" at Westwood Regency Theater, Nov. 11, 2019, in Los Angeles.
Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images
Aly Raisman attends the premiere of Columbia Pictures' "Charlie's Angels" at Westwood Regency Theater, Nov. 11, 2019, in Los Angeles.

Siegel said he took Raisman up on her offer and sent an email. He got a reply and should be a receiving something in the mail from Raisman on Monday, he added.

Siegel said his dream is to have a conversation with Raisman over coffee someday.