A Florida high school graduation turned into an unexpected viral moment when a student’s celebratory backflip on stage accidentally knocked over a fellow graduate.
The incident happened on June 1 at South Plantation High School’s commencement ceremony held at the Rick Case Arena at Nova Southeastern University.
Seventeen-year-old Gavin Robinson wanted to mark the big day with a memorable move—a backflip in front of a cheering crowd. But the celebration took a painful turn when he accidentally collided mid-air with classmate Amelia, who was walking onto the stage to receive her diploma.
In a now-viral video, Gavin is seen pausing at center stage and launching into a backflip just as Amelia approaches the podium. The two crash into each other, sending both to the floor. The shocked crowd gasped as the scene unfolded.
“I thought, ‘Oh this can’t be happening,’” Robinson later told People, recalling the moment he made contact with Amelia mid-flip.
Amelia, who had just waved to the audience and reached up to adjust her cap, was caught completely off guard. The clip shows her falling instantly but bravely getting back on her feet with help from those on stage. Despite the mishap, she straightened her cap and continued across the stage to collect her diploma, drawing applause from the audience.
Gavin and Amelia had only met two days before the ceremony during a rehearsal, where Gavin mentioned his plan to attempt a backflip on stage. Amelia later confirmed this in the TikTok comments of the viral video—which she posted herself, earning over 3.7 million views in just three days.
“Hi guys! I’m all good and not hurt,” she wrote. “He did tell me beforehand, I just got distracted. Please don’t send him any hate!!”
The pair appeared to have taken the accident in stride. “After, when we went to go sit down, we were laughing about it together,” Gavin said.
While some online found the moment hilarious, others criticized Gavin for performing a stunt during a formal event. Comments on social media ranged from concern to outrage:
“This is why we don’t act this way during a formal ceremony… It’s graduation, not a playground.”
“He could have done the flip off stage. Have some decorum.”
Others believed it was a selfish move that ruined Amelia’s big moment:
“Oh nah, he just ruined her graduation.”
Despite the backlash, Gavin has no regrets. “Looking back, I 1,000% still stand on doing the backflip,” he said. “I personally think this is just as good an outcome, if not better, than if I hadn’t done it… not to blame her—it’s equally my fault—but if she didn’t run forward, I would’ve landed it.”
