Jason Derulo has faced intense criticism, being labeled as ‘evil’ and likened to an ‘off-brand Bond villain,’ for his decision to house a shark and a manta ray in a floor aquarium at his residence in Tarzana, California.
The 36-year-old musician sparked backlash on Wednesday after a clip surfaced on the popular subreddit Fauxmoi. The video showed him proudly displaying the aquatic setup to Kick streamer N3on, leading to a wave of disapproval from the online community.
Critics argue that Derulo’s setup is a mere vanity project, condemning the fish to a life of discomfort in a habitat far too small for their needs. One impassioned user commented, “There is absolutely no reason to do this. I hate celebrities that treat animals like a shiny toy they want to show off. He needs to be reported.”
Another individual voiced that such an aquarium should be outright illegal, criticizing the “Whatcha Say” singer for having the boldness to flaunt it. The debate underscores a growing concern about animal welfare in celebrity culture.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Derulo’s representatives for additional comments regarding the controversy. As of now, the singer has yet to address the criticisms publicly.
The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Derulo for further comment on the story.
Jason Derulo, 36, was slammed as ‘evil’ and called an ‘off-brand Bond villain’ for keeping a shark and a manta ray confined to a floor aquarium in his Los Angeles home
Numerous users said that Derulo’s accommodation for the fish were lacking, as one noted the animals had ‘nowhere to hide from people or bright lights or loud noises.’
Another user added, ‘There’s not even anything enriching in there,’ commenting, ‘My childhood goldfish had a better setup.’
Said one user, ‘Shark(S). Multiple. In a kiddie size swimming pool. I counted at least 3. Also stingrays. Terrible look.’
A user called the Savage Love singer’s home aquarium the ‘ultimate dick move,’ adding, ‘That’s a living creature, not a decoration.
‘And an empty f***ing tank at that. Not a shred of anything that could mimic a natural habitat.’
Another user said that there was ‘no way that’s enough room for one shark, let alone the other things he has in there.
‘I think people get dismissive over aquatic animals because “They’re just fish” but this is cruel.’
One commenter pointed out, ‘He could have a little robot fish in there or just a visual effect, for the exact same look. The cruelty is the only addition.’
A number of people saying he was condemning the fish to a tortuous existence in an undersized habitat for the sake of vanity
A user called the Savage Love singer’s home aquarium the ‘ultimate dick move,’ adding, ‘That’s a living creature, not a decoration’
Derulo faced the wrath of Reddit users for what they said was a set-up unaccommodating to the animals
Derulo chat last year with Graham Bensinger about his Los Angeles area estate, saying that he’s ‘always wanted to have a shark tank in my house.’
He said in the segment, ‘I came up with the idea of creating, like, a really large one on the floor.’
The vocalist described to Bensinger the fish set-up he had in the home aquarium, and how it came to be.
‘There’s a forest shark in here, and then a stingray,’ Derulo said, adding that there ‘used to be a lot of fish in there’ initially.
Derulo said the shark didn’t ‘want to coexist’ with the fish.
‘The shark, they don’t want to coexist,’ he said. ‘They want to eat them, so … they ate all the fish, yeah.’
