Sabrina Carpenter was left horrified after realising a bird pooped on her during Grammys performance.
The American singer, 26, was branded ‘stupid and cruel’ by animal rights group PETA after performing with a live bird at the Grammy Awards on Sunday evening.
During her performance, Sabrina cradled a white dove in the palm of her hand while performing hit single Manchild at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, prompting a mixed response across social media.
After coming off stage, Sabrina was seen celebrating with her team in a clip circulating online.
However she quickly looked down at her hand and realised it had bird poo on it, as she said: ‘It’s sh** on my hand.’
The unconventional move in her performance saw Sabrina condemned by officials at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), who referenced the lyrics to Manchild in a statement posted on X.
Sabrina Carpenter was left horrified after realising a bird pooped on her during Grammys performance
The American singer, 26, was branded ‘stupid and cruel’ by animal rights group PETA after performing with a live bird at the Grammy Awards on Sunday evening
Criticising Sabrina, PETA said: ‘Hey Sabrina, bringing a live bird onto the Grammys stage is stupid, slow, useless … and cruel!
‘Bright lights, loud noise, and handling cause fear and distress for a bird who belongs flying free in the open sky.
The message added: ‘Did [Sabrina Carpenter] really just bring a bird on stage in 2026?! The Manchild singer is giving childlike behavior. Leave animals out of the #grammys!’
Sharing the clip of Sabrina discovering the bird had pooped on her hand, people on Reddit shared their concerns about the use of the bird also.
They wrote: ‘That’s what she gets for bringing that bird up there,’; ‘I don’t like live animals in live performances, it more often than not stresses the animal out and just seems like animal abuse,’;
‘It was so scared it pooped. 🙁 animals are not props,’; ‘Well, that’s the risk you take when working with live animals,’;
‘Not to be a bummer but I hate that she used a live bird. He looked stressed. Poor baby,’; ‘I think we can stop subjecting animals to being part of live performances like this. That bird looked pretty stressed and it being there didn’t add to the performance. What’s the point?’;
‘I love Sabrina but jeez she could have easily bought a fake one – poor thing is so stressed.’
After coming off stage, Sabrina quickly looked down at her hand and realised it had bird poo on it, as she said: ‘It’s sh** on my hand
During her performance, Sabrina cradled a white dove in the palm of her hand while performing hit single Manchild at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles
Sharing the clip of Sabrina discovering the bird had pooped on her hand, people on Reddit shared their concerns about the use of the bird also
PETA also had some stern words for Lady Gaga, who wore a costume seemingly made of feathers for her performance of her song Abracadabra at the awards show.
‘Whether they’re plucked out while the bird is alive, or after they are killed, the bird always suffers,’ they wrote. ‘Lady Gaga, let birds keep their feathers. Feathers belong on birds and birds should be free.’
However, the organisation applauded pop icon Cher for winning the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award as she has dedicated much of her life to fighting for animal rights.
The post on X read: ‘A Lifetime Achievement Award at the #grammys feels right for @Cher … From working to help captive elephants to dogs suffering in the cold. Thank you for using your platform to change the lives of animals.’
There was also a message dedicated to Billie Eilish over her vegan lifestyle and her ‘respect for animals’. It read: ‘Congrats to @BillieEilish on #grammys Song of the Year for Wildflower. From powerful music to powerful compassion, our 2021 Person of the Year continues to lead with vegan values, fur-free fashion, and respect for animals.’
The pop star, who was among the night’s most-talked-about performers, took the stage dressed as a sexy pilot in a white corset-style bodysuit with a plunging neckline, matching knee-high lace-up boots and a pillbox-style cap.
‘Hey Grammys, how ya doing? It’s your captain Sabrina speaking,’ she announced. ‘If you came here tonight for a little validation, stand up and I want you to put your hands together!’
Sabrina’s performance was condemned by officials at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), who referenced the lyrics to Manchild in a statement posted on X
Criticising Sabrina, PETA said: ‘Hey Sabrina, bringing a live bird onto the Grammys stage is stupid, slow, useless … and cruel!’
The organisation also had some stern words for Lady Gaga, who wore a costume seemingly made of feathers for her performance of her song Abracadabra at the awards show
The daring performance saw the singer emerge from a moving baggage conveyor belt into a faux terminal branded ‘SCA’ for Sabrina Carpenter Airlines.
Manchild, which is the lead single off Sabrina’s 2025 album Man’s Best Friend, is a biting, playful anthem that many believe references her brief but headline-grabbing romance with Irish actor Barry Keoghan.
Lyrics calling out emotional immaturity and mixed signals only fuelled speculation, especially given the very public timing of their split.
She was joined by an eclectic lineup of backup dancers dressed as airline passengers and staff, including an astronaut and priest.
At the end of the performance, Sabrina theatrically pulled out a live dove.
Despite the apparent censorship, the performance quickly became one of the most talked-about moments of the night.
