Joe Jonas found himself at the centre of a very harmless yet very New-Yorky spectacle this week, after a passer-by filmed him spending seven minutes trying to parallel park outside a busy restaurant. The clip, captured from a nearby window, shows the singer inching his Mercedes-Benz G 550 back and forth in the kind of awkward trial-and-error dance every driver has endured at least once — just usually not with half the internet watching.
The TikTok user who filmed the moment captioned it: “I love New York because I’ve been watching Joe Jonas parallel park for the last 7 minutes.” They soundtracked the video with Burnin’ Up and, unsurprisingly, the combination of a popstar, a tight parking space and a bit of gentle chaos took off. The post racked up millions of likes and more than 12 million views.
@iluvthejobros How many people witnessed Joe Jonas have parallel parking struggles in New York today 🤣 📸: neha.nas & emmak_509 on TikTok #JoeJonas #JonasBrothers ♬ original sound - iluvthejobros
Fans piled into the comments, including one who realised they had unknowingly witnessed the same scene in real time, writing: “Not me finding out on TikTok that the guy I was also watching parallel park for like 5 minutes was Joe Jonas.”
Jonas himself eventually saw the clip and joined in on the joke, responding: “And I saw you watch and not help once.” He then filmed and posted a hilarious response video titled 'How the city been treating me today since the parallel parking video.'
@joejonas
How the city been treating me today since the parallel parking video
More videos followed of the singer chatting to people on the street afterwards. Jonas, who rose to fame alongside his brothers Kevin and Nick in the Jonas Brothers, has long had a reputation for being approachable, often spotted out and about by fans. One clip from September even showed him strolling through London unnoticed until someone quietly filmed him from across the street.
The attention around this latest moment also prompted some to revisit his personal life. Jonas and Sophie Turner announced their split in September 2023 after four years of marriage, releasing a joint statement at the time: “After four wonderful years of marriage we have mutually decided to amicably end our marriage… We sincerely hope that everyone can respect our wishes for privacy for us and our children.” The former couple share two daughters, Willa and Delphine.
But this week’s viral moment stayed firmly in the silly, wholesome lane — a global popstar gamely wrestling with the kind of parking job that humbles even the most confident driver. And honestly, it’s nice when the internet decides that’s enough drama for the day.
