The 5 Shadiest Celebrity Audience Cam Reactions At The 2023 VMAs
The 2023 VMAs were full of viral, shady moments from our favorite celebs. Between Lance Bass' side-eye-worthy gesture to Taylor Swift — which had fans questioning whether or not the show was rigged — Justin Timberlake and Megan Thee Stallions' alleged beef, to the celebs who rightly landed on the worst-dressed list, the night was teeming with gossip-worthy moments. Of course, it wouldn't be the VMAs if most of those moments weren't shady in nature.
And while plenty of shady moments happened during the official live broadcast, thanks to the audience cam, fans were able to see even more of the celebs' real, authentic reactions to the show's performers, presenters, and many, many bloopers. VMA queen, Taylor Swift even had an entire camera designated to her! Oddly, Swift didn't make this list full of the shadiest audience cam reactions from the 2023 VMAs, but those who did definitely earned their spot.
Selena Gomez wasn't here for Chris Brown
Selena Gomez returned to the 2023 VMAs after an eight-year hiatus, according to E! News. And though she only took home one of the four awards she was up for with Rema, she made a splash in other ways. One of her most talked-about moments came when the audience cam picked up her reaction to Chris Brown's VMA nomination.
According to The Wrap, Brown scored a Best R&B nomination for his collab with Chlöe Bailey. However, Gomez wasn't impressed and visibly turned up her face as Brown's name was called. Pop Base posted a clip of Gomez's telling reaction to Brown, a divisive figure due to his history with domestic violence. The video has since garnered over 20 million views and thousands of comments -– mostly support for Gomez. And though there are a few Brown fans who didn't approve, Gomez's fans are ready to stand beside her. "She's so real for this selena baby get behind me i'm not gonna let anyone come at you," tweeted one Selenator.
Ice Spice may have shaded Megan the Stallion and Cardi B
Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B gave a rousing rendition of their new song, "Bongos," at the VMAs. And while their performance was a big hit to most of the crowd, it didn't seem to do much for fellow rapper Ice Spice. One camera angle showed the "Princess Diana" rapper standing in the audience, looking a bit uninterested in the rap duo's lively performance. Near the end of the clip, Ice Spice did start to sway her body back and forth, but kind of seemed like a delayed reaction. Her reaction stood out even more next to Taylor Swift, who was happily dancing along with her drink of choice in hand. A second camera angle showed Ice Spice seated as Megan Thee Stallion rapped just a few feet away. And while she did bob her head and clap, her body language suggested she wasn't all that excited about the performance.
Chlöe and Halle Bailey weren't overjoyed by Anitta's win
R&B sister duo, Chloe x Halle attended the 2023 VMAs together. And though neither songstress hit the stage to perform, they appeared to enjoy themselves regardless. According to Gold Derby, Chloe x Halle were among the long list of presenters. However, they also stayed for the entire show, taking in the performances. Unfortunately, the audience caught the usually unproblematic sisters at the wrong moment.
In a video uploaded to Twitter, Chloe x Halle could be seen reacting appropriately, but not exactly enthusiastically as singer Anitta accepted an award. While the sisters clapped for the Latin pop star, they seemingly struggled to stay engaged as she made her speech. Halle also blinked rapidly at one point as if she was bored. One fan even compared the sisters to another famous sister team, Beyoncé and Solange. "They give such Beyoncé and Solange vibes right here ... Chlöe: smiles and claps. Halle: smiles and checks her nails. This duo is everything!" tweeted one observer.
Did Selena Gomez plug her ears during Olivia Rodrigo's performance?
Selena Gomez may not have had her own VMA camera, but she still managed to snatch plenty of screen time. Gomez also went viral for seemingly plugging her ears during Olivia Rodrigo's performance block. In the video, Gomez could be seen watching the stage with a confused glare as she pressed her left hand over her ear. Could the feedback of the speakers simply have been too loud? Possibly. However, the more popular theory is that Gomez was showing a little solidarity to her best friend, Taylor Swift.
Over the past few weeks, fans from both fandoms have speculated that Rodrigo's been shading Swift with her new release, "The Grudge." Their supposed drama dates back to 2021, when Rodrigo gave Swift writing credits on her hits "Deja Vu" and "1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back" months after their release, per Rolling Stone. The implication is that Swift felt Rodrigo's influences leeched too closely off of her work and demanded credit. Given how far back Swift and Gomez go, it's not at all hard to believe that she'd have Swift's back if there was a little bad blood between the pop stars.
Måneskin may have ignored a fan
Måneskin also had a huge night at the VMAs. In addition to performing their hit song, "Honey (Are U Coming?)," they took home the Moon Man for Best Rock, according to Billboard. Plus, Taylor Swift also showed the Italian group a little love as they rocked the stage, per Consequence of Sound.
Unfortunately, the VMA winners didn't seem to be in the mood to spread their good fortune around. The VMA audience cam captured the group being kind of cold towards an unidentified woman who approached them at their seats. The woman seemingly asked them a question, only to be subtly dismissed by a hand gesture. Although it's impossible to know who the woman was or what she wanted, it didn't seem like a friendly reaction. Fortunately, a different angle showed the group looking a little looser as they took selfies from their seats. So maybe they just needed a bit of time to break the ice.