Did Charli XCX Subtly Shade Taylor Swift at VMAs 2026? The Truth

Sep 28, 2026 - 22:14

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Internet users are certain Taylor Swift and Charli XCX have bad blood.

After a clip circulated of the “party 4 you” singer seemingly unenthused while watching the “Opalite” singer become the first-ever recipient of the Artist-Director award at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards Sept. 27, more context has come to light about the viral moment.

In the 11-second video shared to X Sept. 27, Taylor is in the middle of thanking her fans when the camera cuts to Charli, who wore a straight face as she clapped one hand on her knee.

And while the clip has garnered nearly five million views, we should all know by now that social media isn’t always what it seems.

After all, the video was edited in an effort to further perpetuate a narrative that Taylor, 36, and Charli, 34, have beef.

Rather, the clip of Charli edited into Taylor’s speech was taken from elsewhere in the awards ceremony, when the “Von Dutch” singer solemnly listened as the surviving members of Nirvana—Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear—accepted their Video Vanguard win.

But it wouldn’t be the first time armchair experts have tried to pit the popstars against one another.

After Taylor dropped her 2025 album The Life of a Showgirl, the song “Actually Romantic” was quickly interpreted as a response to Charli’s 2024 track “Sympathy Is a Knife."

Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images, Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

“I heard you call me ‘Boring Barbie’ when the coke’s got you brave,” Taylor’s lyrics read. “High-fived my ex and then you said you’re glad he ghosted me / Wrote me a song saying it makes you sick to see my face.”

While Charli has described “Sympathy Is a Knife” as a song about her own insecurities, some listeners questioned whether its lyrics were referencing Taylor's brief romance with The 1975 lead singer Matty Healy, who she dated before marrying Travis Kelce in July. (Charli married Matty’s bandmate George Daniel in 2025.)

“Don’t wanna see her backstage at my boyfriend’s show,” Charli (real name Charlotte Emma Aitchison) sang on the song. “Fingers crossed behind my back / I hope they break up real quick.”

Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage

And while neither Charli nor Taylor—who toured together in 2018—have addressed the rumor mill head on, putting their fans first will never go out of style.

"I got to start making music videos and being a part of music videos 20 years ago, and since then I've gotten to be a part of making 60 music videos," Taylor said on the VMAs stage as she made history with the most ever wins at the MTV ceremony. "18 of those I wrote and directed. I really love writing and directing music videos."

"I got to tell you though, the main reason why I love writing and directing music videos so much is because you, the fans, make it so much fun," she continued. "You make it so rewarding because you actually care about what we're making."

Keep reading for all the red carpet looks at the 2026 VMAs…

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Taylor Swift

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Teyana Taylor

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Paris Hilton

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Charli xcx

John Shearer/WireImage

Dave Grohl & Jordyn Blum

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