Taylor Swift Slammed for “Ignoring” Céline Dion Onstage

Taylor Swift stirred controversy for allegedly disrespecting Céline Dion, who made a surprise appearance after revealing her neurological condition. Swift’s actions overshadowed Dion’s moment, sparking debates on celebrity behavior and empathy.

Taylor won the Grammy for “Album of the Year”.

This year’s Grammys marked a momentous occasion for the esteemed musician Taylor Swift, as she triumphantly clinched the highly coveted Album of the Year award for her “Midnights.” The accolade was undoubtedly a cause for celebration, further solidifying Swift’s status as an icon in the realm of music. Competing against Swift in this highly coveted category were Jon Batiste, boygenius, Miley Cyrus, Lana Del Rey, Janelle Monáe, Olivia Rodrigo, and SZA.

During her acceptance speech, Swift expressed her love for the music industry, acknowledging that while winning this award was a significant moment, she finds similar joy in various aspects of her music-making process, such as songwriting, conceptualizing music videos, rehearsing with her team, and preparing for upcoming tours. Swift also surprised her fans by revealing her plans for her 11th studio album, titled “The Tortured Poets Department,” during her win for the Best Pop Vocal Album category. The album is set to be released on April 19 and will be available for streaming.

Videos from the event show Swift, rocking a chic white gown, heading to the stage with Lana Del Rey to grab her award. While she seemed thrilled, the singer didn’t hug everyone onstage, which got noticed by all the people watching the awards, and debate rapidly sparked online.

Céline Dion made a rare public appearance at the Grammys to present the award for album of the year.

At the 2024 Grammys, Céline Dion made a rare public appearance to present the coveted Album of the Year award to Taylor Swift. Dion’s surprise appearance at the awards show marked a significant moment, considering her mostly private life since revealing her diagnosis of a rare neurological disorder called stiff-person syndrome in December 2022. This condition has affected her mobility and vocal cords, leading to the cancellation of her Courage World Tour.

As Dion took the stage with her son René-Charles Angélil, the audience greeted her with applause and a standing ovation. The camera captured Swift enthusiastically clapping, dancing, and singing along to Dion’s iconic song, “The Power of Love.”

Dion expressed her gratitude for the overwhelming support, acknowledging the significance of being present at the Grammy Awards. She emphasized that when she said, “I’m happy to be here; I mean it, from my heart.” Additionally, she reminded everyone in attendance of the immense love and joy that music brings to people’s lives worldwide, urging them never to take it for granted.

Taylor Swift seemed to ignore Céline while accepting her award on stage.

As Taylor turned towards Dion, who was holding the award for her, Swift barely acknowledged her as she took the Grammy from Dion’s hands. After Dion announced Swift and her album as the Album of the Year, viewers took to social media to express their frustration over Swift’s apparent lack of respect for the French-Canadian singer.

After Swift reached the stage to accept the award, she hugged producer Jack Antonoff, her friend and fellow Grammy nominee Lana Del Rey, and sound engineer Laura Sisk. While taking the trophy from Dion, Swift’s attention seemed focused on her collaborators, likely surprised and overwhelmed by the win.

However, this did not prevent criticism labeling her as “disrespectful” for failing to greet Dion properly. Swift did not mention Dion’s influential career in her acceptance speech, contrasting with Miley Cyrus, who acknowledged Mariah Carey earlier in the ceremony. Instead, Swift expressed gratitude towards Antonoff, Del Rey, and the team behind “Midnights.”

The debate raged on social media.

On social media, there was a heated debate sparked by Taylor Swift’s apparent lack of acknowledgment towards Céline Dion when receiving her Grammy Award. One user questioned why Swift ignored Dion, while another emphasized the importance of showing courtesy, especially considering Dion’s status as a music icon.

A tweet pointed out that, despite Dion’s legendary status, Swift didn’t even make eye contact with her, which was deemed disrespectful. Another user expressed disappointment that Swift didn’t acknowledge Dion, emphasizing the significance of Dion’s presence on stage. Despite some users suggesting that Swift’s actions may not have been intentional, overall, there was widespread criticism online about her failure to greet or acknowledge Dion during the award presentation.

In defense of Taylor Swift, her fans suggested that her apparent oversight regarding Céline Dion might have stemmed from a desire to be considerate of Dion’s health condition. They also argued that Swift often faces unfair criticism. Fans pointed out that Swift was likely overwhelmed by the historic moment of winning the Album of the Year award for the fourth time, which made Grammy history.

Despite Swift’s efforts to show appreciation by clapping and standing for everyone, including Dion and her fellow nominees, some criticized her for not getting everything exactly right in such an emotionally charged moment.

Behind the scenes, their interaction was quite different than onstage.

Despite any drama that might have seemed to unfold on camera, Taylor Swift, Céline Dion, and her son René-Charles Angélil showed that they were all good as they snapped some pictures together backstage. Swift and Dion were all smiles, hugging it out after the big award was handed out, proving there’s no bad blood between these pop stars.

They’ve actually been pals for a while now. They were spotted together back in 2010 at the Grammys, and Dion even gave Swift an award at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards. The photo of them hugging is just adorable. Swift has her arm around Dion, and they’re leaning in close, looking super happy to be in each other’s company. It’s clear that backstage, they’re just two pop stars supporting each other; no drama is needed.

Despite all the rumors, the crowd and public were amazed by Céline Dion’s appearance, knowing she is battling a serious illness—a topic we’ve discussed here.