Jason Derulo has addressed public criticism about owning a shark tank beneath the living room floor of his Los Angeles mansion.
The “Ridin’ Solo” vocalist was caught by cameras leaving a court appearance on June 18, and along with trying a burrito by a street vendor, he spoke on the shark tank controversy. In streaming appearances earlier this year, Derulo displayed his circular glass aquarium inside his $15 million Tarzana, California, mansion.
"I heard the backlash. I understand the backlash. And I've been doing my part to reach out to a lot of different companies that are trying to raise awareness on different things," Derulo said.
While claiming that he’s been trying to enlighten himself about the welfare of sharks, Derulo said that his aquarium is “a lot larger” than the tank they were originally enclosed in. “So it's figuring out the best way forward," he continued.
"I never intend on doing anything negative in my life,” Derulo continued. “I'm always the positive person. I always want to do the right thing. So I'm thankful for everybody pointing me in the right direction."
While giving streamer N3on a tour of his living room last month, Derulo shared that it “took a lot” to install the tank, along with maintaining its salt and oxygen levels. "Basically, I got someone who makes pools to do the shell of it, and then I had the aquarium people put it all together,” he said on the stream.
Christian Plowman, IFAW Program Manager of Wildlife Cybercrime, condemned Derulo as displaying the shark tank as an “ultimate status symbol.” "Normalizing the ownership of sharks in a domestic tank sends a damaging message to audiences around the world. If Derulo genuinely cares about these animals, he could use his platform as a powerful force for good," Plowman stated.
California law prohibits freshwater sharks and river stingrays as pets but does permit some smaller, non-endangered shark species in private aquariums.
