Sabrina Carpenter shocked concertgoers with her bold ‘Juno position’ on stage in Los Angeles.
Sabrina Carpenter has found herself at the center of online criticism after performing a move many viewed as inappropriate during her concert.
The controversial moment unfolded during her Short n’ Sweet Tour performance at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on Monday, November 18.
Videos of the act quickly went viral, sparking heated debates among fans and critics.
Sabrina Carpenter has been criticised for a recent performance
TheStewartofNY/FilmMagic
This isn’t the first time Sabrina Carpenter’s performances have caused a stir.
The singer has built a reputation for delivering bold and risqué acts during her shows, which some fans embrace while others find divisive.
At the MTV Awards in September, Carpenter performed a medley of songs from her latest album, also titled Short n’ Sweet.
During her song “Taste,” she paused mid-performance to share a steamy kiss with one of her backup dancers, who was dressed as an alien.
Another headline-grabbing moment came from the music video for the same single. In the video, Carpenter and Jenna Ortega staged a fictional love triangle, complete with a dramatic kiss, adding fuel to the ongoing chatter about her increasingly provocative artistry.
During her recent rendition of “Juno,” Carpenter mimicked a sex act on stage, drawing backlash from fans.
Clips shared online showed her dropping to her knees and appearing to simulate oral sex using her microphone, a move that left some audience members uncomfortable.
People were divided over the move
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for AEG
One concerned social media user wrote on X: “We need better role models for children.”
Another voiced their frustration, saying: “Can she stop sexualizing herself for 1 minute? LITERAL children are watching this, not just at the concert but also as it keeps appearing on my niece’s youtube.”
However, many fans stepped up to defend the former Disney star. One supporter wrote: “She’s an adult and doesn’t work for the company currently. She can do whatever she wants.”
Another commenter added: “It’s her concert. People are there to have fun and so is she and it’s her right to choose how she wants to have fun in her own concert.”
Supporters of Carpenter also reminded critics that she is an adult and fully entitled to express herself however she chooses on stage, emphasizing her autonomy as an artist.
Carpenter’s recent stage antics have become a recurring theme during her Short n’ Sweet Tour, which began on June 20. She has frequently incorporated suggestive movements into her performances, asking the audience, “Have you ever tried this one?” while singing.
Despite the controversy, Carpenter’s star continues to rise. She first gained widespread recognition through her role on Disney Channel’s Girl Meets World, the spinoff of Boy Meets World. More recently, she performed as an opening act during Taylor Swift’s blockbuster Eras Tour.
Reflecting on her career trajectory, Carpenter told the Guardian in August: “Full transparency: I’ve never really been on charts until quite recently, so it’s a newfound, like… I’m interested,”
“It’s not the reason I write music and it’s not the reason I’ll ever write music. It’s like the sprinkles on top of the sundae.”
“You start to realize that there’s more to all of it than just, like, blood, sweat and tears and love and talent and passion. There’s beautiful sides to this and there’s really dark, weird sides to all of it.”
“I just love doing it – there’s sort of a need for it – and when that’s the thing that’s driving you, success doesn’t really matter. You’re just gonna keep going regardless.”