Jason Derulo Recounts Recovery From ‘Life-Threatening’ Neck Injury

Renowned singer-songwriter Jason Derulo recounted a near-fatal accident that shook the foundations of his career.

Derulo recounted the incident in a candid interview on the I Am Paris podcast. “I had this tour set up — it was the biggest tour of my life at that point.”

In 2013, as Derulo prepared for the tour, the singer was instructed to perform a series of back tucks, a gymnastic maneuver that involved a backward somersault. As he attempted the stunt, Derulo broke his C2 vertebrae and faced the prospect of paralysis or even death.

“As soon as it happened, I heard a big crack, and I was just like, ‘Holy s—, is this it? Is this how it all ends?'” Derulo recalled. Determined to spare his mother from the gravity of the situation, DeRulo summoned the strength to walk to the car and downplay the severity of his condition.

When he arrived at the hospital, the singer was met with a bittersweet prognosis. While the doctor confirmed the “hangman’s break” – a rare and life-threatening injury typically associated with hanging – DeRulo was relieved to learn that he had retained full mobility in his limbs. However, the price of his survival was a seven-month hiatus from performing, a devastating blow to the singer’s meticulously planned tour.

“I had to let all these people down,” Derulo lamented. “I know how much this means to people, people save their hard-earned money, and they wanna be part of this experience. All of a sudden all of that s— was down the drain.”

Undaunted by the setback, Derulo channeled his creativity and determination into a productive recovery process. Rather than succumbing to the constraints of his physical limitations, the artist seized the opportunity to hone his songwriting and studio skills and emerged from the ordeal with a renewed sense of purpose and a deeper appreciation for the fragility and preciousness of life.

Derulo said, “I created a routine for myself: I woke up in the morning, went to the gym and walked, I walked for about 45 minutes a day, and then I spent hours and hours in the studio…Same time, same places every single day, and that’s when I wrote my most successful album, the Talk Dirty album, which had ‘Talk Dirty,’ ‘Other Side,’ ‘Marry Me,’ ‘Wiggle’ — all kinds of hits off that album. It’s because I created a routine, so it was like a common thing in my life when I’m able to really follow a routine, amazing things happen.”

Last October, Derulo was sued by a singer Emaza Gibson for sexual harassment.