Sabrina Carpenter Faces Backlash From PETA After Grammys Performance
Sabrina Carpenter’s high-flying opening act at the 2026 Grammy Awards has sparked a major backlash from animal rights advocates. Shortly after the twenty-six-year-old singer concluded her airport-themed performance in Los Angeles, PETA issued a scathing critique regarding her use of a live white dove.
The organization questioned the singer’s judgment, suggesting that bringing a bird onto such a stage in 2026 was indicative of childlike behavior and urging the industry to keep animals out of the ceremony entirely.
The activist group even used the singer’s own discography as a weapon in their statement. Referencing the themes of her recent music, they labeled the stunt as completely useless, slow, and fundamentally cruel.
PETA further clarified that the chaotic environment of a major award show—complete with piercing lights, massive crowds, and loud noises—is a source of intense fear for a creature that belongs in the wild.
During the set at the Crypto.com Arena, Carpenter performed her hit single while emerging from a “Sabrina Carpenter Airlines” baggage belt. The climax of the show featured her ascending on a platform shaped like a silver aircraft, at which point she revealed the bird. As the song reached its finale, the dove could be seen fluttering visibly in her hands, a moment that was meant to be a theatrical mic-drop but instead became a viral controversy.
Despite the social media storm, the night was a testament to Carpenter’s skyrocketing influence. She walked into the event with six major nominations, including Record and Song of the Year for her biting track Manchild.
Her seventh studio project, Man’s Best Friend, also competed in the Album of the Year category, though the star ultimately left the ceremony empty-handed after major wins by Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny.
Sabrina Carpenter turned the #GRAMMYS stage into her own flight runway while performing “Manchild” ✈️ pic.twitter.com/qA8e43kyjC
— Chicks (@Chicks) February 2, 2026
Outside of the recording studio, Carpenter is preparing for a massive return to her acting roots with her first leading role in a studio blockbuster. She is set to both produce and star in a new musical reimagining of Alice in Wonderland for Universal Pictures.
The project is being helmed by director Lorene Scafaria and backed by Wicked producer Marc Platt, marking a significant step in Carpenter’s evolution into a multifaceted Hollywood mogul.
Additionally, the singer has a jam-packed spring schedule that includes headlining the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April. She is also slated to appear in a highly anticipated Muppet Show special for Disney+ later this year, where she will guest star alongside the iconic puppets for their 50th-anniversary celebration.
Do you think pop stars should be allowed to use live animals for theatrical effects, or do you agree with PETA that it’s time to ban the practice? Share your thoughts in the comments!