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Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter Reunite at 2023 VMAs Amid Olivia Rodrigo Feud Rumors
Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter just reunited at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards amid rumors that Taylor is feuding with Olivia Rodrigo.
In a photo taken during the VMAs on Tuesday, September 12, Taylor, 33, leaned in close to Sabrina, 24, as the “Nonsense” singer placed her arm on Taylor’s shoulder. Their awards show appearance together comes after Sabrina opened for Taylor on her Eras Tour in Mexico City, Mexico, on August 24.
The pop stars’ reunion reignited rumors of a feud between Taylor and Olivia, 20, who was also in attendance at the show but did not take a photo with the “Anti-Hero” singer.
Olivia and Sabrina have been rumored enemies since they both reportedly dated fellow Disney Channel star Joshua Bassett — Olivia in 2019 and Sabrina in 2020. In January 2021, when Olivia released her hit single “Driver’s License,” fans speculated that Sabrina was “that blonde girl” the songstress mentioned in the lyrics.
Meanwhile, Olivia has seen Taylor as a huge inspiration for years, and Taylor has publicly supported the “Vampire” singer’s music. However, they, too, sparked feud rumors at the Grammys in February. Taylor and Olivia were seated next to each other at the awards show but reportedly did not interact. Additionally, Taylor took a photo with Sabrina but not Olivia.
Rumors swirled that Taylor inviting Sabrina to open for her was dig at Olivia. “There are a lot of whispers going around that there’s bad blood between Olivia and Taylor,” a source told Life & Style in September. “While Olivia hasn’t come out and said it was true, she’s not happy that Sabrina is opening for Taylor on the Latin American leg of her Eras tour.”
However, Olivia addressed the rumors ahead of the VMAs on Tuesday. In her Rolling Stone cover story, she said, “I don’t have beef with anyone. I’m very chill. I keep to myself. I have my four friends and my mom, and that’s really the only people I talk to, ever. There’s nothing to say.”
The Rolling Stone interview came after the release of Olivia’s Guts album on September 8, which includes her “Vampire” track. Many fans speculated that Olivia threw shade at Taylor in the “blood sucker” and “fame f–ker’ lyrics, although Olivia denied these rumors, too.
“I was very surprised when people thought that,” she told The Guardian. “I never want to say who any of my songs are about. I’ve never done that before in my career and probably won’t. I think it’s better to not pigeonhole a song to being about this one thing.”
Neither Sabrina nor Taylor have commented on the rumored feud. However, Sabrina did talk about what an honor it was to open for Taylor on tour.
“It’s a great privilege,” she told Vogue. “Getting to tour with someone I love that greatly inspires me, and also has the kindest and most welcoming fan base ever—I feel so lucky to be part of such an indelible tour.”
