At the 2025 Met Gala, Sabrina Carpenter found herself at the center of a steamy moment with R&B legend Usher during his post-red-carpet performance — but what made the moment go viral was her dad’s hilarious response afterward.
Inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where Usher entertained guests following the event’s formalities, a now widely shared photo shows the singer holding a microphone in one hand and a maraschino cherry in the other, dangling it by the stem above Carpenter’s open mouth. The pop singer is seen tilting her head back with her tongue out, ready to receive the cherry.
The sensual cherry-feeding has become a signature part of Usher’s live performances, having first appeared during his Las Vegas residency between 2022 and 2023. “It started with strawberries in Vegas,” he said on The Jennifer Hudson Show back in February. “So, you know, I just figured we try all the fruits until we figured out which one works the best. But cherries were something that I felt was fun and just kind of active. It was a bit erotic.”
“That’s what R&B is all about, right?” he added with a sly grin. “Being connected and making people feel something fun — I don’t mean to break up houses.”
That “erotic” element may have made things slightly awkward for Carpenter’s father. On May 7, two days after the Met Gala, the “Please Please Please” artist posted a screenshot to Instagram of a text exchange with her dad, who had sent her the photo along with a short, confused message: “? Weird.”
Aside from her fruity interaction with Usher, Carpenter was also spotted spending time with Jenna Ortega, her costar from the “Taste” music video, and turning heads on the red carpet in a stylish brown Louis Vuitton leotard that showed off her legs. The 2025 gala theme was “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” a concept Usher both represented through fashion and supported as a member of the host committee for the evening’s Costume Institute benefit.
