News

Did Jason Derulo Really Fall Down The Stairs At The Met Gala?

It's the joke that never gets old.

by Millie Roberts  4 May 2022
Jason Derulo

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Every year like clockwork, Google is dominated with a search query that haunts Jason Derulo in his dreams — did the singer ungraciously fall down the stairs at the Met Gala?

It’s the ultimate Mandela effect — everyone seems to be on the same page that while he might not have rumbled and tumbled down the red carpet this year, it definitely happened four or five years ago right?

But unfortunately, it’s all baloney. The voice behind classic tracks like ‘Watcha Say’ and ‘Ridin’ Solo’ never stacked it in front of the entire world, so how did everyone collectively imprint it into their memories, and where did the joke come from?

How Did The Rumour Start?

As many outrageous claims do, someone simply got bored and posted an old photo of a man rolling down the red carpet on the day of the 2015 Met Gala, with the caption: “Jason Derulo just fell at #MetGala. LMAO.”

The since-deleted tweet quickly did the rounds and even after getting debunked, continued to be shared every year afterwards on the fateful celebrity night out. Something is just so believable about Derulo falling at such a perpendicular angle it defies the laws of physics, that it’s funny even if it’s not true.

So, Who Is The Mystery Man?

Once upon a time at the Cannes Film Festival in 2011, a random unnamed guest tried to pull a quick one on the red carpet. His stunt was quickly manhandled by multiple security guards, who in the process of tackling him, hurled him down the stairs, according to fact-checking site Snopes.

A Getty photographer captured the moment scene-by-scene, showing that it’s clearly not Derulo, but in the one image that actually went viral, the identity of the white suit wearer is so unclear that it could be possible.

Embed from Getty Images

Somehow, even the Getty caption is funny: “A security man grabs a guest who tried to perform a stunt on the red carpet before a ceremony in honour of French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo and the screening of The Beaver presented out of competiton at the 64th Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2011 in Cannes”.

Jason Derulo Responds

Derulo responded to the internet prank less than a fortnight later, saying even his 93-year-old grandma was concerned for his wellbeing. The best revelation was that the man wasn’t even at the Met Gala that year at all.

“I was actually at rehearsal in LA, the Met Gala is in New York. And I just thought it was hilarious, it was funny,” said Derulo. He also shared on Instagram in a post that also got taken down, “I’m at rehearsal in LA. Fuq ya’ll! Lol”.

To this day, Derulo has never been invited to the A-Lister night of nights, despite all the publicity and attention he inadvertently generates year-in-and-year-out for the Met Gala. Anna Wintour, please sort out your guest list.

Why Does This Keep Circulating?

Have you seen the photos? It’s comedy gold. The longevity of the joke serves both parties — if you know, you know. If you don’t, well, you get to go on with your life with suspended belief.

Besides, some people are just walking memes. From Derulo’s iconic self-name-dropping at the start of many of his hit tracks, to eating a corncob with a power drill, and posting some of the horniest thirst traps Instagram has ever seen — he is the gift that keeps on giving.

Also, Derulo has been known to rock a white tux, so to be fair, it was very, very plausible. Fake news can be funny every so often.