Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea walked onto “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” with a bandage on his forehead and a story no one saw coming.
The unexpected look quickly caught Fallon’s attention, prompting him to ask what had happened. Flea first played it up, joking that he had been in a fight, before breaking into laughter and sharing the truth.
The real cause, the music legend revealed, was “a bizarre peeing accident,” turning what appeared to be a serious injury into a moment of humor that had the audience laughing along with him.
‘I Got to Go Pee’: Flea Details the Moment of Impact
Flea said the accident unfolded during a brief break while he was hosting a radio show for Apple Music, a moment that quickly turned from routine to chaotic.
“I was doing a radio show for Apple Music the other day,” he said.
“I was playing a Lee Morgan song, a great song called ‘Stopstart’ with Billy Higgins on drums. There were three minutes left in the song and I said ‘I got to go pee’, so I have three minutes before I introduce the next tune.”
Trying to beat the clock, he rushed down the hallway, unaware of what was coming next.
“I jump up, I run down the hallway, I pee, I’m coming back. I’m wearing my reading glasses, I yell something to someone, running full sprint down the hallway, and bam! Smack into a glass door, flat on my back, blood spurting out of my head.”
Musician Keeps Humor After Injury
GettyEven after the fall, Flea said his first thought was about his upcoming television appearance.
“I’m laying there going ‘Oh man, I’ve got to do the Fallon Show in a few days… I’ll tell him I got into a fight’.”
The moment reflected his ability to find humor even in painful situations, something that carried through his interview.
During the show, Flea also gave audiences a preview of his upcoming solo album “Honora,” performing a trumpet-led cover of Frank Ocean’s “Thinkin Bout You.”
Reflecting on the inspiration behind the track, he spoke about the lasting impact of Ocean’s “Channel Orange,” a record that left a deep impression on him.
“When that record came out, it really blew me away. I listened to it 10 million times. It was something I just couldn’t stop listening to. I loved it so much and still do. Just one of those real watershed moment records for me.”
He added: “‘Thinkin Bout You’ is one of the many great songs on that record, and I thought it would be fun to play on trumpet […] I just wanted to get the honest beauty of the melody because it’s a great song.”
“Honora” marks a return to Flea’s musical roots, with the artist composing and arranging the album while embracing his long-standing connection to jazz.
