Sabrina Carpenter Under Fire For 'Objectifying Herself' In Social Posts

Sabrina Carpenter has never been one to shy away from bold statements, but her promo for "Manchild" has fans chatting, and not all in the same direction. In the clip, the pop sensation is seen hitchhiking down a deserted desert road, dressed in cheeky denim cutoffs that leave little to the imagination, sky-high heels, and a crisp white blouse. With platinum blonde curls cascading down her back, Sabrina channels a retro, pin-up fantasy while strutting confidently with a suitcase in hand. It's provocative, playful, and very on-brand for Sabrina Carpenter, who has made a career out of mixing campy glamour with unapologetic confidence.

But while Sabrina's promo may scream "empowered bombshell," not everyone was sold. The comments section lit up with divided opinions. One critic slammed, "Can she do anything without objectifying herself?" a remark that quickly racked up over 82,000 likes. Another piled on, writing, "Why is she always naked…" while a different user compared the aesthetic to adult content promotion, "Why does this look like a girl promoting her OnlyFans."

Others accused her of leaning too heavily into sexualization for clout. "Just another celebrity sexualizing themselves to make more money," one commenter wrote, adding that Sabrina's skimpy outfits don't define her worth. "What makes a woman a woman is her morals, values, and principles."

The backlash clearly hasn't gone unnoticed, but Sabrina Carpenter isn't letting it derail her. In her Rolling Stone cover story, the pop star addressed the noise directly, brushing off complaints that her music is too sex-focused. "It's always so funny to me when people complain," she said. "They're like: 'All she does is sing about this.' But those are the songs that you've made popular. Clearly you love sex. You're obsessed with it."

Carpenter pointed to her viral "Juno" performance, where she cheekily acts out sexual positions on stage after singing the lyric, "Wanna try out some freaky positions? Have you ever tried this one?" While videos of the bit flood social media nightly, Carpenter stressed that her setlist also includes ballads and introspective tracks, and fans choose to amplify the risqué moments.

"I can't control that. If you come to the show, you'll [also] hear the ballads, you'll hear the more introspective numbers," she explained. "I find irony and humor in all of that, because it seems to be a recurring theme. I'm not upset about it, other than I feel mad pressure to be funny sometimes."

Still, Sabrina didn't hold back on how unfair the scrutiny feels, especially for women in the industry. "I don't want to be pessimistic, but I truly feel like I've never lived in a time where women have been picked apart more and scrutinized in every capacity," she said. "I'm not just talking about me. I'm talking about every female artist that is making art right now."

While critics keep dissecting her lyrics and stage antics, Sabrina Carpenter is keeping the focus firmly on the art, and her latest music video proves it. Her newest single, "Tears," came with a theatrical visual that feels more like a short film than a standard pop clip.

The video kicks off with Carpenter sprawled in a field after a car crash, immediately setting a dark, cinematic mood. Her search for answers leads her to a lone house in the middle of nowhere, but once inside, reality quickly unravels. The space transforms into a bizarre funhouse, brimming with eccentric characters and surreal encounters. With every room she enters, Carpenter undergoes bold, sultry style reinventions that highlight her ever-evolving pop persona.

Joining her on this wild ride is actor Colman Domingo, who delivers a striking performance in drag, serving as both companion and guide. Together, the pair share an unexpected, show-stopping dance break, a moment fans have been replaying on loop since the video dropped.

Sabrina Carpenter took her new single "Tears" to the next level during its live debut at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards on September 7. The pop star made a theatrical entrance by crawling out of a sewer grate before strutting across a city street–themed stage, joined by drag queens who hyped her up as she launched into the performance.

Partway through, Carpenter ditched her sparkling beaded gown to reveal a rhinestone-studded fringe top paired with black tights, drawing cheers from the audience. As the beat dropped, the stage transformed into a stormy spectacle, with rain pouring down as she and her crew, drag queens and shirtless dancers dressed as cops, delivered a high-energy dance break.

The number closed with a powerful message as the entire group raised signs supporting drag and trans rights, cementing Carpenter's performance as one of the boldest and most talked-about highlights of the night.

From the sultry "Manchild" promos that sparked heated debates, to her unapologetic clapbacks in interviews, to the cinematic spectacle of "Tears" and its show-stopping VMA debut, Sabrina Carpenter has proven she's not just playing the pop game, but she's rewriting it.