Sabrina Carpenter jokes at NYC concert about Eric Adams indictment
Sabrina Carpenter uses her concerts to ask the real questions.
The realest of which popped up at her Madison Square Garden show on Sunday: "Should we talk about how I got the mayor indicted?"
The "Espresso" hitmaker addressed New York City Mayor Eric Adams' indictment, with Carpenter, 25, hinting at her role in the embattled mayor's dealings as seen in video shared by a fan.
The connection has to do with Carpenter's controversial 2023 "Feather" music video, which included shots inside the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Brooklyn, New York, which Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello said he approved and later apologized for.
Carpenter's use of the church led the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn to restore the church's "sanctity" with a Mass and issue a statement, saying it was "appalled," the Associated Press reported at the time. Gigantiello was later stripped of his administrative duties at the diocese.
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Now Carpenter's music video is being brought up in reference to the reported federal inquiry into Gigantiello's business transactions with the mayor's office, in particular the mayor's former chief of staff, Frank Carone.
USA TODAY has reached out to the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church for comment.
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The music video was filmed in September 2023. After the video's release and the diocese's statement, the monsignor explained he agreed to allow filming in an "effort to further strengthen the bonds between the young creative artists who make up a large part of this community." He later said he was unaware of any "provocative" things being done in the church beforehand.
"We got approval in advance," Carpenter told Variety of the controversy in November, adding a nod to her last name, "And Jesus was a carpenter."
After she addressed the MSG crowd on Sunday, Carpenter covered her hand over her laugh before transitioning to the next song.
Selena Gomez dances with co-star Edgar Ramirez at Sabrina Carpenter's NYC concert
Outside of political fodder, Carpenter's New York City concert was well attended, including by Selena Gomez.
The fellow Disney kid showed her support for Carpenter while displaying her own moves at the concert, joined by her "Emilia Perez" co-star Edgar Ramirez.
In a video Gomez posted to Instagram, in which she tagged her boyfriend Benny Blanco, Gomez is seen dancing to Carpenter's performance of "Juno," mouthing along to the lyrics: "You make me wanna make you fall in love."
"can't keep my hands to myself," Blanco commented back, referencing Gomez's 2015 song.