Selena Gomez Covers Her Ears, Seemingly Shades Olivia Rodrigo’s 2023 VMA Performance

Selena Gomez did not seem impressed by Olivia Rodrigo‘s performance of “Vampire” at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, on Tuesday, September 12, and some fans think she was throwing subtle shade as an audience cutaway showed the Only Murders in the Building star looking uncomfortable and covering up her ear.

The moment came during a point in the song when 20-year-old Olivia’s voice was heard letting out an extended high note that bordered on a scream. Selena, 31, had her left hand over her left ear for 15 seconds in a clip that appeared on X, formerly known as Twitter, seemingly taking it away when she realized she was on camera. The “Back to You” singer stared at the stage looking almost pained.

While some fans on X commented that it seemed to have come at the transition between Olivia’s songs where a long red curtain fell down and a stagehand rushed the singer offstage — which turned out to be part of the act and not a stage collapse — others weren’t so sure.

“Before y’all get these two ladies dragged, it was when the stage was having an intentional stage malfunction. Not during olivia singing,” one person pointed out when the video was posted as another added, “This was during the fake stage malfunction stop posting stuff out of context.”

Others weren’t so sure. “Please she’s literally bored out of her mind,” one user wrote while another quipped, “She must have heard what I was hearing.” One person joked that Olivia’s voice was “not worth the hearing damage” as the reason Selena covered her ear.

The “Wolves” singer made her triumphant return to the VMAs for the first time since 2015. She ended up on many best dressed lists for her stunning red Oscar de la Renta dress that was made up of flower-shaped appliqués. It features a plunging neckline and a fringe skirt made of up the same floral pieces as her bodice. The look included a high left thigh slit and Selena wore her hair long and straight down her back to better show off her incredible outfit. She added large diamond drop earrings as well as several diamond rings and a bracelet.

Earlier in the day, Olivia quashed rumors that she was involved in a feud with Selena’s close friend, Taylor Swift, who was also at the VMAs. In a Rolling Stone cover story, she said “I don’t have beef with anyone. I’m very chill. I keep to myself, ” adding “I have my four friends and my mom, and that’s really the only people I talk to, ever. There’s nothing to say.”