Sabrina Carpenter is slammed by PETA over 'cruel' Grammys performance
The 'Manchild' singer sparked backlash after bringing a feathered friend to the stage
Sabrina Carpenter has been called out by PETA after she appeared on the Grammys' stage to perform alongside a feathered friend.
Carpenter was one of a number of artists to take to the stage in Los Angeles on February 1, alongside Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars and Post Malone, who were also tasked with keeping the star-studded crowd entertained in between awards.
When her turn came, Carpenter brought an entire airport with her, with the stage decorated with a plane, escalators and luggage carousels as she took to the stage to perform 'Manchild' from her 2025 album, Man's Best Friend.
The singer was dressed in a pilot's hat and even took on the job of signalling towards the crowd with some light-up batons, before ending her performance by boarding the fake plane and pulling out a white dove to join her on a rising platform.
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The dove could be seen flapping its wings as Carpenter smiled at the crowd, but while her performance was met with cheers on the night, it has since received backlash from animal rights activists.
In a post on X, PETA tagged Carpenter and called her out for including a bird in her set, writing: "Did @SabrinaAnnLynn really just bring a bird on stage in 2026?! The Manchild singer is giving childlike behavior. Leave animals out of the #GRAMMYs!"
The post was accompanied by a picture which mocked some of the singer's lyrics, reading: "Hey Sabrina, bringing a live bird onto the Grammy's stage is stupid, slow, useless... and cruel."
The organization went on to argue that 'bright lights, loud noise, and handling cause fear and distress for a bird who belongs flying free in the open sky'.
PETA's post has received mixed responses, with some of Carpenter's fans defending the singer and telling PETA to 'leave the girl alone', while others questioned why she couldn't use a fake bird for the performance.
As well as performing at the event, Carpenter's appearance at the Grammys came as she was nominated for a total of six awards off the back of Man’s Best Friend.
The singer landed nominations for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album, with 'Manchild' specifically earning nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Solo Pop Performance, and Best Music Video.
But despite all of her nominations, Carpenter was left applauding for some of her fellow nominees as she went home empty-handed on Sunday night.
UNILAD has reached out to Carpenter's representatives for comment.
Topics: Sabrina Carpenter, Grammys, Music, Celebrity
Emily Brown