One of Sabrina Carpenter's backup performers had an unexpected encounter during her performance at the 2026 Grammys. As she kicked off the ceremony with her song "Manchild," she revealed that the live dove she pulled out during the routine had left a mark on her hand.
Dressed as an airline pilot, Sabrina danced around a fake baggage claim terminal alongside backup dancers portraying various modern men, from a postage worker to a businessman. At one point, she reached into a magician's hat and pulled out a live bird, which promptly flew away.
As the musical number drew to a close, Sabrina held the dove once again as she sat atop an airplane on stage. In a TikTok video shared later that evening, the 26-year-old celebrated the performance with her team backstage, exclaiming, "It s--t on my hand!" Despite the unexpected mishap, Sabrina remained professional and continued her performance flawlessly, making her second appearance on the Grammys stage.
Last February, Sabrina's album "Short n’ Sweet" had scored her her first two Grammy wins. During a medley of "Espresso" and "Please Please Please," she intentionally caused gaffes like wardrobe malfunctions and set pieces falling apart. Host Trevor Noah commented, "That was amazing and funny, which I didn't appreciate. You're gonna do funny too, Sabrina? Really? You're just gonna take my job like that?"
While the comedian was making light of Sabrina's versatility, she emphasized that humor is essential to her. "Part of life is making light of moments that maybe make us uncomfortable," she told Vogue Italy in October. "My whole life I felt like humor...was usually just sort of a wit that kind of saved me. It was always there to make sure that at the end of the day I was protecting myself for the future."
Sabrina ensures that she surrounds herself with her family, team, and collaborators who "support my weird brain." As she put it, "That's the only way that I can continue to stay as authentic as you possibly can in a world where it's so easy to lose that so quickly."
