Sabrina Carpenter was publicly condemned by PETA after incorporating a live white dove into her 2026 Grammy Awards performance.
After stepping up in Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, February 1, to perform her hit “Manchild” while holding the bird in her palms during one stage of the performance, Carpenter, 26, was criticized via the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ X account.
“Hey Sabrina, bringing a live bird onto the Grammys stage is stupid, slow, useless … and cruel!” the organization wrote atop an image of the pop star holding the dove that referenced the lyrics of “Manchild.” The message continued, “Bright lights, loud noise, and handling cause fear and distress for a bird who belongs flying free in the open sky.”
An additional caption read, “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!”
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Us Weekly has reached out to a representative for Carpenter for comment.
Carpenter, who was nominated for six Grammys this year, including Song of the Year for “Manchild,” served as the evening’s first live performer and brought out an airport-themed backdrop to help set her scene.
The bird was featured toward the end of her performance when Carpenter sat in what appeared to be a plane as it took “flight” and she pulled the dove out using her hands. The animal was seen flapping within her grasp before the performance concluded.
Representatives for PETA were in attendance during the annual event as the company staged a stunt within the Grammys gifting suite, per an article published via PETA’s website on Sunday. The story reported that a “walking, talking robo-chicken” supplied vegan food samples for stars including Reba McEntire and Sheryl Lee Ralph. Addressing its presence at the exclusive music industry event, the article noted, “By bringing star power, humor, and seriously good food to one of music’s biggest weekends, PETA encouraged celebrities to use their platforms this award season and beyond to spare chickens and help make the world a kinder place for all animals.”
Carpenter is no stranger to criticism regarding her creative choices. Her album Man’s Best Friend, released in August 2025, drew concern from fans and other social media users for multiple reasons. The lyrics of “Manchild” — particularly “It’s all just so familiar, baby, what do you call it? Stupid / Or is it slow? / Maybe it’s useless? / But there’s a cuter word for it. I know, Manchild” — raised eyebrows after being viewed by some as an ableist slur.
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One person wrote via X, “The word ‘slow’ in manchild … is a historically ableist term,” suggesting that the word did not prioritize the needs of disabled people. Carpenter has not publicly addressed the song’s criticism.
Additionally, the Man’s Best Friend album cover, which features the singer posing on all fours like an animal as she is pulled by her hair, was criticised by social media users for glorifying domestic violence. One person wrote via X, “Women face horrific domestic abuse and degradation at the hands of men every single day worldwide, but she [Carpenter] wants to profit off of imagery of herself being degraded, comparing herself to a dog.”
Carpenter was questioned about the album’s backlash during an interview with Interview magazine in September last year. “You can be sure that anything I do and say has a little bit of a wink to it. If I’m being completely transparent, I don’t do anything anticipating what the reaction will be,” she responded at the time. “I only do things that speak to me, that feel right, and make sense when you hear the music. When I came up with the imaging for it, it was so clear to me what it meant. So the reaction is fascinating to me. You just watch it unravel and go, ‘Wow.’”
