Eras Tour

It’s been about a month since the internet flipped out over Taylor Lautner‘s viral moment at a screening for Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour film. And his Wednesday (Nov. 8) appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, the 31-year-old actor and his wife, influencer Tay Lautner, opened up about what led up to his mid-movie party trick.
“Our friends just egg him on,” explained Mrs. Lautner, who co-hosts The Squeeze podcast with her husband. “If we’re ever doing something, they’re like, ‘Do a flip!’”

The moment in question was caught on camera in October, one night after Swift held the world premiere of her concert film in California on Oct. 13. That weekend, the Lautners revealed to Clarkson, they rented out a movie theater for their friends to watch the movie, eventually leading to Mr. Lautner trying out his backflipping skills while Swift performed “Karma” onscreen.

The gymnastics demonstration didn’t come without cost, however, with the Twilight star admitting he felt a bit sore afterward. “I paid for it the next day,” he told Clarkson. “It was rough after that evening.”

Swifties know that Lautner is no stranger to backflips, especially where Taylor Swift is involved. In July, he made a surprise appearance at an Eras Tour show in Kansas City for the premiere of the pop star’s “I Can See You” music video, in which he stars alongside Joey King. And instead of simply walking onstage, he impressed the crowd by flipping down the catwalk.

That night, Swift praised Lautner, whom she dated briefly in 2009 between her Fearless and Speak Now albums. “He was a very positive force in my life when I was making the Speak Now album, and I want to say he did every single stunt that you saw in that music video,” said the 12-time Grammy winner. “He and his wife have become some of my closest friends, and it’s very convenient because we all share the same first name.”

Watch Taylor Lautner talk about his viral backflip on The Kelly Clarkson Show above.