Elton John left fans confused after he shared a photo of himself in a hospital bed to promote the release of a “Spinal Tap” sequel.
In a photo carousel from the set of “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues,” the “Rocket Man” hitmaker reclined in a hospital bed while wearing fully bedazzled casts on both legs, as well as a neck brace.
The singer was surrounded by balloons, cards and flower arrangements, making the scenario appear real — though in the Instagram upload shared Friday, he also included a photo of himself on camera monitors, as well as behind-the-scenes shots of a soundstage and the glittering casts removed from his legs.
Convinced he was actually injured, one fan commented, “Have a safe recovery ❤️❤️,” while another wrote, “Sending You Love Your Music Got Me Through Alot Of Dark Times ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️.”
Others simply advised the legendary rock star to “get well soon” and offered their “love and prayers.”
Some fans, however, caught on to the true nature of the post — which John, 78, made clear in his caption.
“Rocked too hard… ended up in a cast! Backstage with Spinal Tap 🤘,” he wrote. “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!”
“ELTON DONT SCARE US LIKE THAT,” one follower chided, while another wrote, “Scared me for a minute there. So glad you’re ok!!! 💖🌹.” Yet another remarked, “Omg 😳 this was scary !! No jokes please!”
Some caught on from the beginning, with one user writing, “I bloody love Spinal Tap!!! Cannot wait to see this 😂😂😂.”
The sequel comes over 40 years after “This is Spinal Tap” — which did not feature John — dropped in 1984. The beloved mockumentary, helmed by Rob Reiner and written by Christopher Guest, was a goofball sendup of metal band life and the industry’s ultra self-aware documentaries.
The satirical follow-up follows the fictional band as they reunite after a 15-year break to play one final show, with John contributing to two new songs for the movie.
Along with John, Paul McCartney is among the rock luminaries set to make cameos in the long-awaited sequel to the cult-status film.
In a July interview with Page Six, Reiner reflected on how the public initially misunderstood the original film.
“People didn’t quite get it at first,” he told us at the time. “They thought it was a real documentary about a real band. People came up to me after the first screening and said, ‘I don’t understand. Why would you make a movie about a band nobody’s ever heard of?’”