Frankie Grande was accused of ‘‘throwing shade’’ at Tate McRae after viewers circulated clips of him appearing to scowl and shake his head during the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night.
In footage shared on social media, the 42-year-old Broadway performer is seen in a backstage point-of-view camera staring up at the stage as McRae, 22, delivered a dance-heavy medley of her singles "Sports Car" and "Revolving Door." The clip, captured while flashing lights and music played, drew swift attention and sparked comments from fans who characterized his reaction as ‘‘dramatic’’ or ‘‘hater’’ energy.
After the moment circulated, Grande addressed McRae on the VMAs’ Celeb POV stream, leaning toward the microphone to praise the performer. "I love Tate McRae. I'm obsessed with her, she's beautiful and her makeup artist killed it today," he said. Video of Ariana Grande meeting McRae backstage also showed Frankie rising to enthusiastically shake McRae’s hand.
Social media reaction to the sequence remained divided. Some users suggested Grande’s expression signaled genuine disapproval of the performance, while others argued he might have been reacting to the stage lighting or to the intensity of the moment. A handful of users suggested the on-camera comment and the handshake constituted damage control after fans called attention to the earlier clip.
Frankie Grande was seated in the front row alongside his sister, Ariana, and other family members. Ariana Grande was one of the night’s biggest winners, taking home Video of the Year and Best Pop for "Brighter Days Ahead." The VMAs also honored artists including Lady Gaga, who won Artist of the Year and Best Collaboration with Bruno Mars, and recognized Mariah Carey with the Video Vanguard Award.
McRae’s performance, which combined stripped-down staging with choreographed movement, was among several live sets that prompted immediate online commentary throughout the broadcast. The episode added to a night in which a number of onstage moments and backstage interactions — including an awkward hug between Ariana Grande and fellow pop star Sabrina Carpenter that circulated online — became talking points on social platforms.
Representatives for Frankie Grande and Tate McRae did not immediately respond to requests for comment. MTV did not provide additional footage or an official statement beyond the broadcast streams available to viewers.
The exchange highlights how brief reactions captured on camera can quickly become focal points in the social-media conversation around awards shows, where viewers scrutinize both performances and celebrity behavior in real time.