A brief backstage encounter between Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards has gone viral, with viewers debating whether the exchange was warm or frosty.
Video circulated online showed the two singers embracing and talking during the awards show. When Carpenter, 26, moved in for a second hug, Grande, 32, did not fully reciprocate, producing what some observers described as a partial or awkward embrace.
Casino.ca body‑language expert Judi James told the Daily Mail that the interaction looked "frosty" and involved a "partial hug" in which Grande appeared to hold her elbows in a way that limited the contact. "[Ariana] holds her arms out for a frosty-looking partial hug that has 'brakes' on it via the holding of the elbows," James said. She added that while Grande displayed some fanlike gestures toward other celebrities that night, the greeting with Carpenter suggested the two did not know each other well and that Grande maintained a more reserved posture.
James also told the Daily Mail that Grande’s red‑carpet appearance at the VMAs signaled a stylistic shift. Grande arrived in a custom Fendi black‑and‑white polka dot dress with a pink ruffle and her signature slicked‑back ponytail. James noted a subtle change in the shape of Grande’s eyebrows compared with the steepled look associated with her Glinda character in the film Wicked and said the alteration could reflect Grande moving away from that persona as she returns to other projects. Grande has been promoting Wicked over the past year and has recently teased new music, an upcoming tour and is reported to be filming Meet the Parents 4.
Carpenter previously opened for Grande on the 2017 Dangerous Woman tour, but James said the elbow‑clutching in the clip suggested the pair were not close in 2025. Fans and viewers took to social media to weigh in on the video; some commented that Grande appeared "fake," while others defended her professionalism. "Getting fake vibes from Ari no shade," one social media user wrote, and another posted, "Ariana acting fake AF. Not a genuine bone in her body." Others urged restraint, noting that brief moments captured on camera can be misleading.
The exchange added to broader attention on Grande’s evening, which included multiple public greetings and a change in styling that drew commentary from observers interested in celebrity image and promotion. Neither Grande nor Carpenter has issued a public statement about the clip. The footage remains widely shared as viewers and commentators continue to debate the tone of the interaction while both artists pursue separate projects and appearances.