Fans have often turned on pop stars for all kinds of missteps, from a new song's lyrics to an outfit choice.
Singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo, 23, faced similar scrutiny for onstage behavior captured on October 4, 2026, during her performance of Serena Joy at her Unraveled Tour stop in Washington, D.C.
Fans were completely “grossed out” by what Rodrigo did and quickly took to social media to blast the Vampire singer, with some even drawing comparisons to Taylor Swift.
Highlights
- Pop star Olivia Rodrigo recently went viral for “nasty” and “unsanitary” behavior onstage during a live performance.
- Some accused Rodrigo of “trying too hard to be edgy,” while others drew a comparison to Taylor Swift.
- Swift and Rodrigo’s fans have been embroiled in a feud since the latter released her debut album in 2023.
“She is clearly trying to be cool and edgy, but this is just nasty and unhygienic, and in front of people too,” one user said.
Olivia Rodrigo was blasted for “unsanitary” behavior on stage
In a 16-second clip of Rodrigo’s performance, which has since gone viral, she is seen singing into the mic, wearing red shorts and a white sleeveless top.
She then swipes both her armpits with her hands and then runs her hands through her hair—a move many thought was outright “disgusting.”
Others speculated that Rodrigo’s goal was to appear “cool and edgy,” but it backfired.
“She’s trying way too hard to manufacture viral moments on her boring tour,” one person wrote.
Another said, “She wants to give edgy pop-punk rockstar so bad, but this is just genuinely disgusting and unsanitary.”
A few people defended her.
“It’s not nasty. It’s very hot and metal af,” one said. A second argued that she wasn’t wiping her underarms, but just adjusting her brassiere straps.
A third chimed in, “The hygiene angle assumes sweat is dirtier than the products already in hair. It's salt and water. What actually makes it gross to you, the sweat or that she did it where you could see?”
Fans dragged Taylor Swift into the argument for “yucky” Eras Tour move
Because of a rumored beef between Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo over songwriting credits, their fans are often at loggerheads online, calling each other out.
The latest incident involving Rodrigo and her armpits was no exception, with many bringing up the time the Fearless singer was allegedly caught wiping a runny nose during an Eras Tour performance in Edinburgh, Scotland, in June 2024.
“I don’t really care what she does, but remembering that video of Taylor trying to wipe her nose discreetly on stage and make it as least obvious as possible, getting so much flak for it, just to later see the same people defending this, lmao,” one user wrote.
Another said, “Olivia Rodrigo using her own armpit sweat wasn’t just punk-rock. It was an example of how musicians, like Taylor Swift, are so afraid to be themselves.”
During Swift’s Edinburgh show, temperatures dropped below 40°F (around 4°C) and cold winds made her hands cramp, forcing an unplanned wardrobe change at one point.
Videos posted after the concert showed her wiping her nose twice—once, snot could allegedly be seen hanging from her fingers, and the second time, she wiped it on her clothes.
Netizens also called her “yucky” after a third video went viral of her licking it clean as her nose dripped over her red lipstick while she played the piano.
“I’ve seen three different videos of Taylor wiping or licking her boogers in the past 30 minutes. She needs to take some tissues with her up on that stage,” one fan suggested at the time.
Swift and Rodrigo’s relationship “soured” after allegations of plagiarism
The feud between Swift and Rodrigo’s fanbases runs far deeper than questionable onstage behavior.
Rodrigo was once one of Swift’s most vocal admirers, often praising her songwriting and calling her a major inspiration.
The two appeared to have a friendly relationship when they met at the 2021 BRIT Awards, shortly before Rodrigo’s debut album, Sour, became a major success but also drew severe plagiarism allegations.
Initially, Taylor publicly celebrated Rodrigo’s breakout hit, Drivers License, as the latter shared a screenshot of the song ranking No. 3 on the US iTunes chart, behind two of Swift’s tracks.
“I say that’s my baby and I’m really proud,” Swift commented under the post. According to Rodrigo, Swift also sent letters and personalized gifts on more than one occasion.
Speculation about a falling-out began a few weeks later, when Swift, her longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff, and musician St. Vincent received retroactive songwriting credits on Rodrigo’s song Deja Vu because it interpolated Swift’s Cruel Summer.
Swift and Antonoff already received credits on 1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back, which interpolated Swift’s New Year’s Day, at the time of the album’s release.
Rumors intensified in 2023 as fans speculated that songs on Rodrigo’s second album, Guts, including The Grudge and Vampire, might reference Swift—an allegation that she denied.
Olivia Rodrigo admitted she was “caught off guard” by the songwriting credit fiasco
Neither Rodrigo nor Swift has confirmed rumors of a feud, and they haven't been seen interacting publicly since, in person or online.
“I don’t have beef with anyone. I’m very chill. I keep to myself. I have my four friends and my mom, and that’s really the only people I talk to, ever. There’s nothing to say,” Rodrigo told Rolling Stone in 2023.
However, she admitted the songwriting-credits debacle “caught her off guard” as she was still “green” in the industry, and that she wouldn’t demand credit from a younger, up-and-coming artist.
However, at the 2024 Grammys, Swift was seen dancing along to Rodrigo’s performance of Vampire, and Rodrigo was spotted cheering when Swift won an award.
In a May 2026 interview with Popcast, Rodrigo addressed the internet theories about their feud and refused to acknowledge any “frost” between her and Swift.
“I don't really read too far into it. I think it, like, comes to the territory and it's par for the course,” she said. “I think if I dove into every internet detective sleuth that got things right or wrong about my life or any of my relationships, I think I'd just go crazy.”
She also addressed the controversy surrounding her babydoll dress worn in the Drop Dead music video and subsequent performances:
“What’s really disturbing is I feel like I actually have worn outfits that are maybe revealing on stage… and that wasn’t inappropriate, but me fully covered up in a dress that people deemed to be childlike was inappropriate.”
“I just think it really shows how we really normalize ped*ph*lia in our culture. And also it’s just this rhetoric that we’re fed as girls since we’re so little, which is, don’t wear that because then a man is going to s*xual*ze your body and it’s your fault. It’s so weird.”
"She's absolutely disgusting," one user commented
