"Such a dad thing to say"— Internet reacts to Sabrina Carpenter's dad responding to a photo of Usher feeding her a cherry

Usher's intimate cherry-feeding moment with Sabrina Carpenter at the 2025 Met Gala has sparked a wave of reactions online, especially after Carpenter's dad shared his thoughts. The pop star's father, David Carpenter, responded with a simple yet pointed text, which quickly gained attention online.

During his performance at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5, Usher dangled a maraschino cherry by its stem over Sabrina Carpenter's open mouth while holding a microphone in his other hand. Carpenter leaned back with her tongue out, ready to take the cherry.

Usher's cherry-feeding tradition is not new. Since Las Vegas residency concerts in 2022-23, he's been known to include the gesture in his live shows. The activity initially began with strawberries and eventually evolved to cherries, which, as per Usher, is more 'fun and active.'

Usher has consistently claimed it as a part of his R&B persona, aimed at engaging and entertaining his audience. He even described the moment "er*tic" while speaking on The Jennifer Hudson Show in February. He added that it’s about "being connected and making people feel something fun."

However, not everyone shared Usher's perspective on the moment. On May 7, Sabrina Carpenter took to Instagram to share a behind-the-scenes photo dump from the Met Gala.

Among the highlights was a screenshot of a text conversation with her dad, David Carpenter. He sent her the viral photo of the cherry moment with the simple caption:

"? Weird."

Following David Carpenter's reaction, social media erupted with fans weighing in on the situation. Some fans hinted at the contrast between Sabrina's bold performances and her dad's reaction.

"THIS IS SUCH A DAD THING TO SAY," one user wrote.

"Brooo your daughter literally sang bed chem and Juno," another shared.

"This isn’t even top 10 most unhinged things she’s done," one more tweeted on X.

While others chimed in with humorous takes on the situation, some comments, however, reflected mixed feelings about Usher's gesture itself.

"I'm on the dad side, idk. Usher is old enough to be her father," a user stated.

"I mean he isn’t wrong. Usher always been mad weird for doing shi like this," another user commented.

"Nah if Usher fed my daughter a cherry on live TV, I’d be in jail before the credits rolled," some one else shared.

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Sabrina Carpenter's Met Gala night

Aside from the cherry moment, Sabrina Carpenter had a standout presence at the 2025 Met Gala. She walked the red carpet in a custom burgundy tuxedo-inspired bodysuit designed by Pharrell Williams for Louis Vuitton, following the event's theme, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style."

The 2025 Met Gala's theme, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," highlights the historical influence of Black designers and stylists throughout history. In addition to honoring Virgil Abloh through a tribute, the Met Gala celebrated modern-day Black fashion creatives.

During the interview with Vogue at the Met Gala 2025, Sabrina Carpenter later shared that the no-pants look was Pharrell's idea. She stated that he had joked about her height, saying:

"You're quite short, so no pants for you."

After the Met Gala, Sabrina Carpenter attended the after-party circuit in a yellow coat, black slacks, and a tie, joined by her close friend and fellow actress Jenna Ortega. Reflecting on the night, Sabrina expressed her gratitude on Instagram, thanking Anna Wintour, Pharrell Williams, and the Louis Vuitton team for the memorable experience.

Usher's ninth studio album, Coming Home, took center stage when it debuted on February 9, 2024. His first nomination for Best R&B Album at the 2025 Grammys arrived through his album release. Its promotion included multiple concerts alongside music video releases as well as collaborations with Pheelz and H.E.R.

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Sabrina Carpenter has recently unveiled the deluxe version of her Grammy-winning Short n' Sweet album by releasing it on February 14, 2025. The deluxe release includes four new songs, including a collaborative version of Please Please Please with Dolly Parton.

She is also set to headline the 2025 Austin City Limits Music Festival in October and has announced additional North American tour dates for the fall.