Electronic music producer Deadmau5 (real name Joel Zimmerman) made headlines for all the wrong reasons during his scheduled Coachella performance on April 18. Slated to perform a collaborative set with fellow artist Zhu at the Quasar stage, the iconic DJ appeared visibly intoxicated, stumbling up stairs and slurring his words in front of a packed crowd.
The incident quickly went viral, with clips surfacing of Deadmau5 taking repeated shots and eventually falling behind the DJ booth. Security personnel were later seen escorting him offstage. The unexpected turn of events left fans both confused and concerned about the artist’s condition.
In the aftermath, Deadmau5 took to Instagram Stories to issue a candid apology and try to explain the situation. He admitted he had no recollection of the night, jokingly referencing the fact that he hadn’t broken his vow to quit smoking. “I don’t remember a thing,” he wrote, posting a photo of a water bottle. “But I don’t think I had a cig? So… that’s good, I guess? Going back to bed. Wake me up around Thursday-ish.”
In the comments, he added what might be a farewell to the festival altogether, writing, “Probably my last Coachella.”
The DJ also shared a humorous post featuring his cat, stating even the feline was disappointed in his behavior. Continuing his apology, he wrote, “Sorry about last night,” and reflected on the experience with some self-awareness: “To be fair, I felt the first 3/4 was great! Huge shout-out to @zhu for introducing me to whisky and carrying my dumb ass till the bitter end.”
He closed his message on a hopeful note, saying he plans to do some “personal resetting,” focus on creating new music, and ultimately return stronger. “Lemme quit smoking, do some fucken [sic] personal resetting here at home, find my spirit animal, work on some new music, and come back better.”
The 2025 edition of Coachella wrapped up on April 19, featuring a wide range of performances—but Deadmau5’s unfiltered moment and humble mea culpa may be one of the weekend’s most talked-about memories.