The 'I Lost Focus and Had a Consensual Workplace Relationship' meme stems from a public apology posted by Ned Fulmer, a former member of the popular YouTube group The Try Guys, in September 2022. Following allegations of an extramarital affair with a production employee, Fulmer released a statement on Instagram that used this specific, clinical phrasing to describe his actions. The internet immediately latched onto the phrase 'lost focus' as a humorously inadequate explanation for a major scandal. It quickly evolved into a sarcastic template where users pair the text with trivial daily mistakes, such as getting distracted by a cat or forgetting to do laundry, mocking the corporate and detached nature of the original apology.