No, Elton John is not in the hospital — he’s in ‘Spinal Tap II’

September 12, 2025

‘Spinal Tap II: The End Continues’ (Courtesy of Bleeker Street Films)

While scrolling through Instagram on Friday, you may have gotten upset when you saw a photo of Elton John in a hospital bed with both his legs in casts, as well as a brace around his neck. But don’t worry, it was just movie magic.

In the photo, Elton is lying in a hospital bed, surrounded by flowers, get-well cards and balloons. His husband, David Furnish, is standing next to him, talking to some people. But as Elton explains in the caption, “Rocked too hard… ended up in a cast! Backstage with Spinal Tap.”

He continues, “The new film, Spinal Tap II, and [soundtrack] album are out today, featuring me on ‘Listen To The Flower People’ and ‘Stonehenge’. Thanks for having me be a part of it!” Those two songs were in the original This Is Spinal Tap movie back in 1984, but these are new versions featuring Elton. He also appears in the film, duetting with the fictitious band onstage as they perform “Stonehenge.”

If you scroll through the post, you’ll see close-ups of Elton’s fake casts, which are completely bedazzled with rhinestones, and include motifs like a yellow brick road and piano keys.

Plotwise, it’s not clear how Elton ends up in the hospital; you’ll just have to watch the film to find out. Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks and other famous musicians also appear in it.

Many fans were fooled by the hospital image, though. One wrote in the comments, “i’m at the airport and my heart sank so quickly.” Another wrote, “You scared me for a second. It took me a hot second to realize that this is for spinal tap 2.” Another wrote, “I ALMOST HAD A HEART ATTACK THINKING IT WAS REAL.” Even Elton’s pal Charlie Puth wrote in all caps, “YOU SCARED ME.”