Singer Criticized for Exotic Pet Habitat
Musician Jason Derulo is facing significant backlash online for showcasing a floor aquarium in his Tarzana, California home that houses a shark and a manta ray. The display, featured in a video clip of the singer showing the setup to streamer N3on, has drawn sharp criticism from internet users who deem the environment unsuitable for the aquatic animals.
Concerns Over Animal Welfare
Online communities, particularly on the subreddit Fauxmoi, have voiced strong opinions, with many labeling the setup as cruel and the animals’ confinement as a torturous existence. Critics argue that the aquarium is undersized and lacks the necessary features to mimic a natural habitat, leaving the animals with nowhere to hide from constant attention, bright lights, or loud noises.
One user expressed, “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 commenter stated that keeping the fish in such an underground aquarium “should absolutely be illegal,” questioning Derulo’s “audacity to show it off.”
Habitat Lacks Enrichment, Critics Say
Further critiques highlighted the absence of environmental enrichment within the tank. “There’s not even anything enriching in there,” one user noted, adding, “My childhood goldfish had a better setup.” The presence of multiple sharks and stingrays in what was described as a “kiddie size swimming pool” was particularly condemned.
The home aquarium has been called “the ultimate dick move,” with one individual emphasizing, “That’s a living creature, not a decoration.” Concerns were raised about the adequacy of space, with one user stating, “There’s no way that’s enough room for one shark, let alone the other things he has in there.” The sentiment that aquatic animals are often dismissed as “just fish” but are still subject to cruelty was also a recurring theme.
Singer’s Previous Statements on Aquarium
This display follows previous comments made by Derulo about his desire for a shark tank. In a past interview, the singer mentioned to Graham Bensinger his long-held aspiration to have a shark tank in his residence, conceptualizing a “really large one on the floor.”
Derulo also elaborated on the current inhabitants of his aquarium, identifying a “forest shark” and a stingray. He recounted that the shark did not “want to coexist” with other fish, leading to the consumption of the initial fish population. “The shark, they don’t want to coexist,” he said. “They want to eat them, so … they ate all the fish, yeah.”
