Jason Derulo went viral for falling down the stairs of the Met Gala. He wasn't even there.

The wildest part about internet virality is that it’s like lightning in a bottle. You can’t orchestrate it and there’s often no logic behind why something goes gangbusters online.

Point and case: when Jason Derulo fell down the stairs at the 2015 Met Gala.

The iconic photo of the singer tumbling ass over backwards at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art was shared fast and wide, taking off like wildfire on social media.

As far as the history of memes goes it will forever hold a place as being one that captured us all.

Except — and here’s the kicker — it never happened at all.

Watch: The wildest Met Gala looks of all time. Post continues after video.

In 2015, the glitterati gathered in New York for the annual Met Gala. The theme was 'China: Through The Looking Glass' so all the stars showed up in elegant couture resplendent in imperial yellows and dynasty gold accents — it was the year Rihanna drew gasps from the crowd when she arrived in a giant fur-lined jacket with a train so long and heavy multiple people had to carry it. 

As people watched on from home, feeds filling up with pictures of celebs dressed in their designer garbs, another moment started to draw traction.

Singer Jason Derulo took an awful tumble down the stairs after arriving at the Met Gala.

An image started circulating on the internet with many unverified accounts claiming that the famous singer had been involved in an unfortunate fall.

BREAKING NEWS: Jason Derulo has fell down the stairs at the Met Gala pic.twitter.com/pALBxYsGRA

— 5hahem aka Dr. Durag (@shaTIRED) May 1, 2023

The source account to first post the incident came from a Twitter handle @dashausofjack which has since been suspended. Given the image shows a largely concealed face of whoever is falling down the stairs, people just accepted it as bible and believed that indeed it was poor Jason Derulo.

And everyone lapped it up. Before long, it was popping up everywhere.

Still, to this day, the meme has a chokehold on the internet and gets revived or referenced during every major event.

Jason Derulo at the Met Gala pic.twitter.com/T8AX8hfZSp

— Bob (@tweetsbybob_) October 12, 2023

Jason Derulo has fallen down the stairs at the #Oscars pic.twitter.com/1BAspjMlxx

— abbi (@abbipaperbag) February 9, 2020

BREAKING: Jason Derulo has fallen down the stairs at the Milk Crate Challenge pic.twitter.com/XM9Z6Yqnwf

— ben (@benwassertweet) August 23, 2021

"There's still people on the planet that think that I'd fall down the steps. Somebody that's living under a rock that hasn't seen [it] before," Derulo told People in 2023. 

"I've definitely seen some messages like, 'Are you OK?' But yeah, every single year, a couple of times a year... it's not even just the Met Gala anymore! 

"It's kind of inching its way onto other events, but it's hilarious."

Looking back this was a pretty important lesson in digital literacy and learning how to recognise factual information online. Because, the truth is, the picture wasn't of Jason Derulo at all. In fact, he was never in attendance of the 2015 Met Gala and neither was the unfortunate soul pictured falling down a set of stairs.

Upon further inspection, the image was taken during an incident at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival in France. An unnamed man tried to rush the red carpet before the screening of the film The Beaver. 

As he stormed the carpet, security rushed to apprehend him, resulting in a rather intense scuffle captured by the many photographers on hand.

Here's the original image:

An unidentified man falls on the red carpet at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. Image: Getty.

Not Jason Derulo, not at the Met Gala and not even in 2015. Wow, we really were gullible back then.

Then, of course, Derulo entered the chat to let everyone know it quite simply wasn't him. He shared an alibi on socials alerting everyone he had been in Los Angeles at the time of the supposed incident.

Lmao I'm at rehearsal in LA. Fuq ya'll! Lol https://t.co/Wx7ID0BXra

— Jason Derulo (@jasonderulo) May 5, 2015

So how did he feel about the entire online ruckus? 

Over the years, Derulo has often referenced the meme and has never shied away from letting us know how he felt about how it all went down.

During a 2016 interview with Audacy News, the singer said he found the whole ordeal amusing if not a little weird when even his 93-year-old grandmother called him up to check and see if he was ok.

"I was like, 'Grandma, I'm good. I didn't fall down no stairs.' But it was hilarious," he told the publication.

It's good to know he has a sense of humour about it.

Want more behind-the-scenes Met Gala content? Check out these stories:

• Fashion’s most memeable 'night of nights': How to tune into the 2024 Met Gala in Australia.
• A strict seating chart and banned celebrities: What actually happens at the Met Gala?
• 'We're dressed up like a bunch of a**holes.' Every celebrity who has publicly trashed the Met Gala.
• From an elevator fight to the smoking saga: The most controversial moments from the Met Gala.
• The last time Taylor Swift graced the Met Gala, she met Joe Alwyn. Will she return with Travis.
• Paolo Sebastian is 1 of only 5 Aussie designers to make a Met Gala dress. Here's what happens behind the scenes.
• Every single look Zendaya has ever worn to the Met Gala.
• Every single look Rihanna has ever worn to the Met Gala.
  
• Every single look Blake Lively has ever worn to the Met Gala.

Feature Image: Getty.

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