Elton John gave fans a real fright on Friday when he posted photos on Instagram that showed him lying in a hospital bed, wearing glitzy body casts and looking worse for wear.
But it turns out there was no reason for alarm — the 78-year-old music legend revealed the dramatic images were all part of a humorous stunt to promote the sequel to This Is Spinal Tap.
The Grammy-winning artist raised eyebrows with the caption, “rocked too hard... ended up in a cast!” which accompanied pictures of him surrounded by “get well soon” cards, flowers, and clad in sparkling leg casts and a neck brace. Elton soon cleared up the confusion, explaining in the post that he was simply backstage with the cast of Spinal Tap, helping to promote the upcoming movie.
He clarified in the caption: “The new film, Spinal Tap II, and album are out today, featuring me on ‘Listen To The Flower People’ and ‘Stonehenge’. Thanks for having me be a part of it!”
Despite the clarification, fans flooded the comments in a panic, reacting to the fake hospital scene with alarm and concern. Comments included: “ELTON DONT SCARE US LIKE THAT”, “movie sets are so real looking...fun stuff ❤️”, “YOU SCARED ME TOO!”, “YOU SCARED ME”, “i’m at the airport and my heart sank so quickly JESUS”, “I ALMOST HAD A HEART ATTACK THINKING IT WAS REAL”, and “You scared me for a second. It took me a hot second to realize that this is for spinal tap 2.”
In the staged photos, Elton appeared fully committed to the bit — wearing bedazzled medical gear and surrounded by humorous props and co-stars from the film. Directed by Rob Reiner, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues arrives 41 years after the original This Is Spinal Tap, a cult classic that helped define the mockumentary format by chronicling the chaotic behind-the-scenes world of a fictional British rock band.
The follow-up is once again produced by Bleecker Street, the studio behind the original, and will include cameo appearances from a lineup of major music stars including Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, and Trisha Yearwood.
The sequel follows the aging members of Spinal Tap as they reunite for one final performance after a 15-year break.
Director Reiner commented on Elton's post, writing: “So happy to be working with the folks at Bleecker Street who are passionate about keeping Tap's legacy alive and happy to give Marty DiBergi another shot at relevancy.”