One of the pop world’s most talked-about friendships this year, Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter, has found itself under fire after their recent girls’ dinner date.
The duo was spotted in New York City on November 7, 2025, with the internet accusing Taylor of a “superiority complex” thanks to her eyebrow-raising shoe choice that contrasted Sabrina’s.
“Starved for attention… She looks like a praying mantis stalking Sabrina,” wrote one critic online.
Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter were spotted grabbing dinner in the Big Apple
The two pop sensations were captured by paparazzi arriving at The Corner Store, an upscale New York City restaurant popular among celebrities.
Both stars were dressed in cozy fall hues, perfectly complementing each other’s looks in a beige-toned palette.
The Ophelia singer wore a striped-sleeve polo shirt paired with a checkered layered kilt from Thom Browne, accessorized with a caramel-colored leather Moon shoulder bag from The Row.
She completed the look with sparkly diamond jewelry, including her massive diamond engagement ring from Travis Kelce, and six-inch Gucci heels in a deep wine-red shade.
Meanwhile, Carpenter opted for a knee-length camel trench coat over a cropped cream turtleneck from Guest in Residence.
The 35-year-old newly engaged pop star was accused of “outshining” Sabrina on purpose
The Espresso hitmaker accessorized with black tights, Chanel’s small quilted CC hobo bag with a long gold chain, and wore delicate Pedro García satin black sandals.
Despite standing at just 5 feet tall, she opted for kitten heels, a sharp contrast to Swift’s sky-high six-inch heels, especially given the latter’s 5’11” frame.
Sabrina Carpenter backstage at the 67th #Grammys in Los Angeles! pic.twitter.com/6Cntf6oQqY
— Sabrina Carpenter Daily (@SCdailyupdates) February 8, 2025
These shoe choices immediately sparked a wave of backlash online, with people accusing Taylor of trying to “disrespect” her “shortest friend” in public.
One Reddit user shared an image of the duo outside the restaurant on the r/TravisandTaylor subreddit, highlighting their footwear.
They wrote, “Who goes out with their shortest “friend” and picks out 5+ inch heels, if you can even call these shoes that?”
Swift and Carpenter were reportedly celebrating the Manchild singer’s recent Grammy nominations for the upcoming awards season
“She is what, 5’11 and Sabrina is 5’0 max? This just screams superiority complex. Next thing you know we’ll see a photo with Taylor resting a martini glass on Sabrina’s head. Wait, I think we already have one of those.”
Several others echoed the sentiment, noting how Taylor appeared to be “posing” for the cameras “for attention,” while Sabrina seemed more nonchalant.
📸 | Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter were spotted out and about last night in SoHo, New York pic.twitter.com/vf7SGaW2yk
— Phetru | The Mini Edit Guy (@Phetru) November 8, 2025
One critic wrote, “Anyone else rolling their eyes about her pap walk ‘poses’? She always slows down and glances at the camera whereas everyone else just…walks.”
Another commented, “It’s funny comparing her to who she’s walking with in these pap walks because Taylor makes it really obvious that she’s posing while the other person doesn’t care.”
“Taylor, people are laughing at you, not with you lol” quipped a third, a bit harshly.
“This just screams superiority complex,” expressed many disappointed social media users
“Somebody needs to teach this woman how to walk in heels if she’s going to do this many pap walks.”
The duo’s outing was, in fact, a night of celebration, as Carpenter’s sixth album, Man’s Best Friend, earned six Grammy nominations for the 2026 awards season.
The singer is nominated for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Best Music Video, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Pop Solo Performance at next year’s ceremony.
Meanwhile, Taylor, who also released an album this year, The Life of the Showgirl, did not receive any nominations due to its late release date.
Many users pointed to this Grammy miss as another possible reason for Swift’s dramatic footwear choice, suggesting she was trying to prove she’s “still the cool girl.”
Despite standing nearly six feet tall, the Elizabeth Taylor singer donned six-inch heels for the girls’ dinner date
“Sabrina herself has been nominated for tons of awards this year. She’s trying to stand over someone who is literally more relevant than her right now,” expressed one reddit user.
Another added, “We all made fun of her fillers and plastic surgery, and now she needs to prove that she’s hot.”
Just last month, while promoting her new album, Taylor faced a wave of mockery and criticism over alleged plastic surgery.
Following her appearance on The Graham Norton Show on October 3, viewers speculated that she might have joined the long list of celebrities turning to cosmetic procedures.
“The Botox epidemic got her. Let’s put that filler down mother you look sinister,” wrote one fan at the time.
However, the billionaire singer has not addressed any rumors regarding cosmetic enhancements.
“Taylor didn’t expect [Sabrina] to be this popular. I wish Sabrina would stay away from her,” wrote one user online
