Awkward Taylor Swift Moments Caught On Camera
Taylor Swift may be a global pop superstar, but every now and then, she can be a little, well, awkward — just like the rest of us. Unlike us, though, celebrities spend a lot of their time in the public eye. Swift has been a sensation ever since her debut album took off in 2006, which means plenty of her awkward moments have been captured on camera.
Luckily, Swift has always handled these moments with grace and humor; in fact, she is almost always able to laugh off the gaffes she's made in public. And when other people make things awkward for her? Well, she isn't afraid to call them out on it. We could all learn a thing or two from Swift's ability to bounce back after enduring uncomfortable situations.
Without further ado, let's take a look at Taylor Swift's cringiest moments ever caught on camera — plus how she dealt with them.
'Taylor Smith, everyone!'
It's hard to imagine anyone in the world not knowing the name Taylor Swift. After all, the pop star has been absolutely everywhere — on a record-breaking tour, dating one of the biggest sports stars in the world, on the cover of Time. However, a few years ago, Swift's name was, apparently, a little less well-known — at least to one person.
While on the red carpet at the American Country Music Awards in 2012, Swift spoke with an interviewer about her nominations for Best Video, Best Female Performer, and Best Entertainer. When it came time for the interviewer to do a sign-off, she made an embarrassing error. "Congratulations, have a wonderful time tonight, Taylor," she said, before turning to the camera and saying, "Taylor Smith, everyone!" Swift is next be seen waving at the camera before her smile awkwardly freezes as she hears the interviewer get her name wrong. She looks away to laugh in confusion with someone offscreen. As the interviewer keeps talking to the camera, Swift continues giggling in the background.
This moment may be awkward for everyone involved, but it's also become pretty iconic. As one person commented, "This never gets old."
Kanye West interrupted her VMA win in 2009
Ah yes, the awkward moment to end all awkward moments — when Kanye West infamously interrupted Taylor Swift during her acceptance speech at the 2009 VMAs. It's safe to say that everyone remembers this cringe-worthy moment in pop culture history. Nevertheless, we'll refresh your memory.
While Swift delivered her acceptance speech, West appeared on stage, grabbed her microphone, and said, "Yo, Taylor, I'm really happy for you, I'mma let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time." The camera cut to Beyoncé, who seemed mortified in the audience, and Swift standing awkwardly and looking crestfallen. The audience proceeded to boo the rapper, and West went on to hand the microphone back to a very stunned Swift.
Swift has since spoken about just how awful the awkward moment was for her. "At the time I didn't know they were booing him doing that," she confessed in her documentary "Miss Americana" (via Glamour). "I thought they were booing me. For someone who's built their whole belief system on getting people to clap for you, the whole crowd booing is a pretty formative experience."
She was asked about going home with men
Let's face it — the media hasn't always treated female celebrities with respect. Everyone from Scarlett Johansson to Britney Spears has had to deal with sexist questions from reporters. And Taylor Swift is no different. In 2015, Swift was faced with a particularly misogynistic question during an interview at the Grammys.
"You're going to walk home with more than maybe just a trophy tonight, I think lots of men," Entertainment Tonight's Nancy O'Dell told Swift, who looked shocked by the comment. "I'm not going to walk home with any men tonight," she said firmly. "I'm going to go hang out with my friends and then go home to the cats." She added with a stifled laugh, "Men get me in trouble." Yikes.
As one viewer commented on YouTube, "How unprofessional and low of the interviewer, and how classy of Taylor. The way she handled that situation shows how mature she is." Trust Swift to handle an awkward moment like this with so much grace!
Taylor Swift was captured high on pain medication after eye surgery
It's a well-known fact that getting anesthetized for an operation can lead to some pretty bizarre behavior — after all, some of the funniest viral videos feature people post-op. It's safe to say that a pop star like Taylor Swift hoped that her own post-surgery high would never be captured on camera, let alone made public. However, thanks to her mother and Jimmy Fallon, it was — and it led to a spectacularly hilarious awkward moment.
During an appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," the host surprised Swift — and the audience — with a video of her taken by her mother immediately after her operation. As Fallon began asking Swift about her operation, it quickly became clear that she had no idea he had the footage. "What is going on?" she said, looking slightly terrified. Then, Fallon confessed, "Your mom may or may not have videotaped you after surgery." Swift laughed in shock. Then, Fallon played the hilarious moment.
Swift can be seen standing in her kitchen wearing goggles and pulling a banana off a bunch. She whines, "That wasn't the one I wanted." After getting upset, her mother gets the "right" banana for her daughter. The video then cuts to Swift lying in bed, haphazardly eating her banana and looking completely out of it. "I'm not asleep. My mind is alive," she says.
She dragged Lana Del Rey onto the stage at the 2024 Grammys
Fans were quick to spot an awkward moment during the 2024 Grammys. After winning the award for Album of the Year, Taylor Swift grabbed her friend, Lana Del Rey, by the hand and proceeded to drag the reluctant singer up to the stage with her. Del Rey was also nominated and had just lost to Swift. In footage of the incident, Del Rey certainly looks embarrassed to have been pulled up to the stage. "Taylor Swift dragging Lana Del Rey to the stage after Lana lost the award for album of the year to her was so uncomfortable to watch sorry," read one viral tweet.
However, in her speech, Swift gave Del Rey a touching shout-out. "I think so many female artists would not be where they are and would not have the inspiration they have if it weren't for the work that she's has done. I think she's a legacy artist," Swift said.
Del Rey also later clarified that she wasn't upset about the moment. "I literally did not feel 1 ounce of negative emotion at any point in that award ceremony. It was pure funniness and laughter," she wrote in an Instagram comment (via People).
She didn't seem to love a joke at the 2024 Golden Globes
Taylor Swift doesn't mind a good joke — but a bad joke is something she simply will not put up with. During the 2024 Golden Globes, the pop star was caught on camera reacting to a particularly tasteless joke during the ceremony. "The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL — on the Golden Globes, we have fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift," host Jo Koy said. "I swear, there's just more to go to." When the camera panned to Swift, she was seen biting her lip before stoically sipping her drink. The joke made at her expense didn't exactly land well.
Swifties quickly took to X, formerly Twitter, to discuss the awkward moment. "Oof. I don't think Taylor Swift liked Jo Koy's joke about her," one wrote. Koy later apologized for the joke. "The whole intention of that joke was to make fun of the NFL," he explained to the Los Angeles Times. "It's like, the cool thing about the [Golden] Globes is we don't need to do cutaways for ratings. What hurts the most is me just supporting Taylor, I support her, I love her work."
Taylor Swift appeared to get the ick from Travis at the Super Bowl
There are few things more awkward than watching your partner do something super embarrassing — now imagine watching your boyfriend do something silly on live TV. That's exactly what happened to Taylor Swift during the 2024 Super Bowl. While celebrating his win, Kansas City Chiefs' Travis Kelce grabbed the trophy and shouted in a cracking voice, "Viva Las Vegas!" The cameras cut to Swift to capture her reaction — and by the looks of things, the star was more than a little embarrassed on behalf of her significant other.
Swifties were, of course, quick to notice. "The [Super Bowl] is cool because we now have recorded footage of exactly when Taylor Swift got the ick after Travis's Viva Las Vegas war cry," one fan tweeted. According to body language expert Louise Mahler, this was a very awkward moment for Swift indeed. "I think she was horrified, slightly amused, but embarrassed," Mahler told Yahoo. She continued, saying, "In this footage, she opens, then shuts and holds her mouth tightly. She does not want to open it, suggesting she does not want to say something. Her mouth is slightly smiling, but her eyes lose their sparkle."
Taylor Swift tripped during a concert in Tokyo
Taylor Swift has had a few awkward moments during her live performances on her global Eras Tour — with one of the worst happening in February 2024 when the singer tripped and nearly fell while descending from the roof of the woodsy cabin that provides the set for her Folklore era. After Swift made it down from the roof safely, she spoke to the crowd. "I almost fell off the Folklore cabin," the singer said with a laugh. "But I didn't. And that's the lesson. My life flashed before my eyes. ... I'm just so happy I didn't fall off the Folklore cabin." Um, so are we!
This moment may have been pretty awkward — after all, it ruined the illusion of the super slick Eras show — however, it was also kind of terrifying. That cutesy cabin is a bit of a safety hazard!
Taylor Swift couldn't dive during the Eras Tour and had to run off stage
Taylor Swift's Eras Tour show is filled with complicated set changes, costume changes, and mechanical set tricks. At one point in the show, Swift descends through a trap door and makes her costume change below the stage. However, during one show, the illusion was ruined when the trap door didn't open. To get off of the stage in time, Swift was forced to run across the length of the stage to get to the exit. The moment was captured on video by fans in the crowd — and let's just say, it was pretty hilarious to watch Swift book it down the stage.
The moment was embarrassing, but, as fans noted, Swift handled it like a pro. "She looks so cute and funny when she runs and she handles these errors like a queen," wrote one fan on YouTube.
She swallowed a bug while performing live
Yet another awkward moment occurred during the Eras Tour in Chicago in 2023 when Taylor Swift accidentally swallowed a bug in the middle of performing her Evermore set. After turning away and coughing for a few second, she singer clued her fans into what was happening. "I swallowed a bug, I'm so sorry. It'll be fine. ... It's just so stupid." After composing herself, she laughed and told fans, "Oh, delicious." Realizing how awkward the moment was, she said," Is there any chance none of you saw that?" Then she started coughing again as the audience laughed. "It's fine, it's all — I've swallowed it."
First of all, poor Taylor! Second of all, the pop star once again handled this embarrassing live moment like an absolute champ. She even managed to find the comedy in the moment. "This is funny she has a good sense of humor," a fan remarked on X.
A skit she planned with Olivia Munn didn't exactly land
Ever since Taylor Swift was interrupted by Kanye West during her speech in 2009, Swifties have all held their breath when she gives acceptance speeches. So, in 2013, when Swift pretended to have a tiff with Olivia Munn while accepting a People's Choice Award, the crowd didn't exactly know what to make of it.
Here's what happened: Swift won the award for Favorite Country Artist of the year and took the stage. When she hugged Munn, the actor looked miffed and didn't hug back. She then kept the award away from Swift. "If you want to thank me first it makes the most sense," Munn said before handing the trophy over. Then, as Swift began her speech, Munn grabbed the trophy back. "This always happens," Swift joked as she tried to get the award back. Munn smiled slightly but kept holding onto the award. "And it will always happen, Taylor, this is your lot in life," she said, as Swift looked downcast. "I know," said the singer. Finally, Munn said, "No, I'm not going to be this person" and gave Swift the award before stepping back.
It turns out that this was all a joke. However, people weren't sure what to make of the awkward encounter. Munn later clarified to E! Online, saying, "[Swift] was so sweet and we were laughing about it. I guess some people didn't [know we were joking]. But at least the people that mattered knew that we were joking" (via The Things).
She was spotted having a gossip sesh during the Golden Globes
During the 2024 Golden Globes, Taylor Swift was caught in the middle of what appeared to be a beautifully messy gossip session with her friends Selena Gomez and Keleigh Teller. In a clip that went viral, Swift was seen listening attentively as Gomez spilled some tea into her ear. Then, she and Teller gasped and looked over at Gomez with wide eyes.
Getting caught gossiping at an event like the Academy Awards is embarrassing enough, but it became even more complicated when rumors began to spread that Gomez was gossiping about Timothée Chalamet and his girlfriend Kylie Jenner. TikTok videos began cropping up claiming that Gomez had said, "I asked for a picture with him and she said, 'No.'" Another clip showed Teller saying, "With Timothée?"
Gomez later claimed that the gossip had been about something else entirely. "I told Taylor about two of my friends who hooked up," she wrote in a comment on one video, adding, "Not that that's [anyone's] business" (via Daily Mail).
Taylor Swift ignored Celine Dion at the 2024 Grammys
In a particularly uncomfortable moment, Taylor Swift appeared to snub the legendary Celine Dion while accepting a Grammy in 2024. Dion, who'd recently been diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, presented the award for Album of the Year. An excited Swift leaped onto the stage and after hugging a few of her collaborators, she grabbed the award from Dion's hands.
Some viewers noticed that Swift didn't even acknowledge the music icon before accepting her trophy and launching into her speech. "Bro did Taylor just snub Celine Dion? Ma'am know your place," wrote one person on X. Another tweeted, "She grabbed the award out of Celine's hand and never even looked at her let alone thanked or hugged her."
While the encounter was certainly awkward, rumors of a snub were quickly quashed when the two singers took a picture together backstage, which showed them laughing and hugging. Clearly, there is no bad blood between these two.
She mistakenly thought she won a Grammy
Taylor Swift is pretty used to winning Grammys. In fact, as of 2024, she has taken home a staggering 14 of them. So, it shouldn't really come as a huge surprise that sometimes she kind of expects to win. And in 2014, that's exactly what happened.
At the ceremony, the singer was seen gasping when the winner for Album of the Year was announced — clearly, she and her team thought her own album had been called, even though the winner was, in fact, Daft Punk's "Random Access Memories." It's likely that Swift assumed that her album, "Red," had been called because of the initial "R" sound. Honestly? Fair enough! Swift quickly composed herself and stood up to applaud Daft Punk. The moment was definitely a little awkward for Swift — but it's also pretty funny! As one commenter put it, "Taylor's reaction never gets old."
Taylor Swift was called out for stalking exes during an interview with Ellen DeGeneres
In 2008, Taylor Swift had a fairly awkward interaction with Ellen DeGeneres during an appearance on her show. During the interview, Swift confessed that she had recently been dumped by Joe Jonas. However, DeGeneres made things a little awkward when she claimed Swift had a tendency to stalk her exes. "You've told me you drive by their houses a lot," DeGeneres said as Swift looked to the crowd. "You told me you do that to ex-boyfriends, is that going to happen?" Swift played along, saying, "He's got a lot of security guards. They're big. So, probably not."
While this little interaction was awkward, DeGeneres was likely referring to something Swift had previously said — although that wasn't really any less awkward. During a previous interview with DeGeneres, the singer described writing her "very honest" MySpace bio, which included the phrase: "In my spare time, I like to drive past my ex-boyfriends' houses." As she explained, "I'm not like throwing eggs — I just like to check up on them. ... Everybody does that — it's just that nobody admits to it!"
Radio hosts played Twister with Taylor Swift – and it was super creepy
These days, Taylor Swift is pretty picky about who she agrees to speak to from the press. In recent years, she has only appeared on a few select talk shows and in 2023, Swift confessed in an Instagram post that she has "trust issues" when it comes to the press. Looking back, it's easy to see why.
In 2008, the 19-year-old singer appeared on 92.3 WIL-FM's radio show "Cornbread" — and things got very uncomfortable. During the interview, the host began by gushing about how grown-up Swift looked. "She looks like a Miss Maybelline model or something," he said. As if that wasn't awkward enough, the host then asked Swift to play a game of Twister with them. Throughout the game, the host repeatedly told the singer to "be ladylike." Swift later asked if other guests had been playing the game. The game got increasingly uncomfortable as the host began to crouch over her. Swift got up to leave, saying, "They're giving me wrap-up."
As fans pointed out, this moment went beyond awkward for Swift. "This was so disgusting and creepy, the grown man was basically pressuring Taylor to play Twister when she was clearly giving hints that she didn't feel comfortable playing it," one fan remarked on YouTube.
Taylor Swift's school picture surfaced online
We all went through an awkward phase in our middle school years — you know, back when we were still finding our own style and experimenting with various looks? Unfortunately for Taylor Swift, her awkward years were captured in a school photo that made the rounds online in 2014. In the photo, a young Swift smiles at the camera — with her blonde hair in cornrows.
Even Swift could admit that this photo was seriously awkward. "Everybody's got some embarrassing photo," Swift told Teen Vogue. "My high school pictures are ... tragic." Speaking of the infamous picture, she added, "'My style forever was going to be cornrows. I took my school picture with the cornrows." Apparently, even at the time, the look wasn't exactly a hit. "It really thrust me into understanding what it's like to not have anywhere to sit in the cafeteria," Swift said with a laugh.