Jason Derulo's Viral Met Gala Stairs Meme: The Real Story Behind the Decade-Long Joke

Every May, as the Met Gala unfolds, a familiar joke makes its rounds across social media: Jason Derulo tumbling down the stairs at the prestigious event. The running gag has persisted for more than a decade, and it resurfaces without fail each year—though many newcomers continue to believe it actually happened.

The reality? Derulo never fell. In fact, he's never even set foot at the Met Gala.

How the Meme Started

The original post came from a now-suspended Twitter account, @dashausofjack, which shared a photo with the caption: "Jason Derulo just fell at #MetGala. LMAO." The post caught fire, but Derulo quickly responded on Instagram, clarifying his whereabouts at the time: "Lmao I'm at rehearsal in LA. Fuq ya'll! Lol."

The Photo's True Origins

The image that typically accompanies this meme actually stems from a genuine staircase mishap—just not at the Met Gala. The photo dates back to the 2011 Cannes Film Festival in France, where an unidentified man attempting to crash the event fell down the stairs as security intervened. He had been trying to perform a stunt on the red carpet during a screening of The Beaver, a nod to French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo.

Derulo Weighs In

The singer addressed the phenomenon in a YouTube video after the meme went viral, explaining that he found the whole situation amusing. He recounted how his 93-year-old grandmother called him in concern after hearing the news, worried he'd been hurt. "I was like 'Grandma, I'm good. I ain't fall down no stairs,'" he recalled.

This Year's Met Gala

The 2026 Met Gala took place on Monday evening, May 4, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. This year's theme, "Costume Art," corresponds with the spring exhibition at the Costume Institute, exploring the relationship between clothing and the human form. The exhibition spans 5,000 years of history and features both historical and contemporary pieces from the museum's collection, organized around various body types including the naked body, the pregnant body, and the aging body. The show is being held in The Met's newly opened Condé M. Nast Galleries, a nearly 12,000-square-foot space adjacent to the Great Hall.