Sara Bareilles Opens Mystery Chimney Door, Finds a ‘Giant’ Maggot-Filled Animal Skull
Most people have that one door, drawer, or cabinet they never open. Sara Bareilles finally opened hers.
What came out was the stuff of nightmares — and unexpectedly, one of the most entertaining videos the internet has seen in a while.
The 46-year-old two-time Grammy winner took to Instagram on March 18 to share a five-minute video of herself cleaning out the chimney of her country house after making a shocking discovery behind a small door she’d never been able to open.
She captioned it simply: “My first short film.” And honestly? It delivered.
Because she has a beautiful voice, the whole thing kicked off with a song — a made-up tune that set the scene perfectly.
“When you live in the country and you open a door ‘cause it’s always been closed every time before. And you see some stuff falling out you think, maybe I should see what’s inside,” Bareilles sang.
Then came the reveal.
“And it’s a skull. And it’s a skull. It’s the bone of a maggot-filled skull!” she continued. “I don’t know what this thing is, it’s a giant dragon. What the f–k, what the f–k?”
What Was Behind the Chimney Clean-Out Door?
Bareilles explained in the video that she has had the house for several years and “loves” it. But there was always one little door on her wall — known as a chimney clean-out door — that she could never open.
When she finally did, what she found inside was far beyond what anyone could have expected.
“It’s, you know, the carcass and remains of some kind of giant rodent,” she said in the video, adding that she thinks it might be a raccoon.
The “Love Song” singer was surprised at the size of the carcass as she cleaned it out with a shovel. And it only got worse from there.
“This body is big. It’s like a turkey! Oh my god, there’s a long tail. It’s like birthing itself backwards,” she said in the video before claiming that there are multiple carcasses.
Multiple. Carcasses.
“That was traumatic,” she added once the remains were in a bag. What she learned, in short, is that some doors are better left shut.
Despite the horror of it all, Bareilles handled the situation with the kind of grace and humor that made the video impossible to stop watching. She described what she planned to do with the bones — and it was surprisingly wholesome.
“And I want you guys to know, for what it’s worth, I am going to give these little creatures a little blessing and set them back into nature, even though they’re quite, very, very dead,” she said.
“And then I’m going to sage the place and take a shower,” she concluded.
The Internet Completely Lost It
In a separate Instagram post, Bareilles acknowledged the overwhelming response, joking: “I don’t think I’ve ever posted anything online that has gotten more interaction than me removing cat carcasses from an old chimney in my house.”
The comments section became its own spectacle. Comedian Wanda Sykes kept it simple, commenting under the video: “I would’ve just moved.”
“Holy CRAP!! were they in fact, cat carcasses??!! You’re a rockstar in every way, you funny, brave even when grossed out, compassionate, pioneer woman you! Love you Sara !” Tony Award-winning actress Donna Murphy wrote.
PetCo added a comment of their own: “this is a very unexpected cameo for us,” referring to the fact that she used a PetCo bag to dispose of the carcass.
“Give this woman an Oscar,” singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter added.
It’s the kind of content that reminds you why you’re still on social media in the first place — unscripted, slightly horrifying, and impossible to look away from.
A Grammy winner, a shovel, and a chimney full of animal remains. No one asked for it. Everyone needed it.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
