The 2022 Met Gala took place on Monday night, and it saw hundreds of celebrities embracing the theme of the exhibition In America: An Anthology of Fashion as they walked Anna Wintour’s iconic carpet.
And with so many famous faces under one roof, there were bound to be a few interesting run-ins.
Enter Olivia Rodrigo, who stunned on the carpet in a purple custom Versace dress, complete with matching evening gloves and butterfly hair clips.
Also in attendance was none other than Sabrina Carpenter, who rocked a stunning gold Paco Rabanne two-piece.
Now, as you might be well aware, Olivia and Sabrina have a pretty complicated past, both having been accused of shading each other in pointed lyrics back in the early months of last year.
For those who need reminding, Olivia’s hit single “Drivers License,” which was released in January 2021, appeared to make a jab at Sabrina — who’d been spotted out on a lunch date with Olivia’s rumored ex-boyfriend Joshua Bassett, right around the time that they’d supposedly split.
In the track, Olivia sings about a messy split with a mystery ex-lover, and appears to reference Sabrina with the lyrics: “And you're probably with that blonde girl / Who always made me doubt / She's so much older than me / She's everything I'm insecure about.”
She also made several apparent references to Joshua, which ignited a heap of drama between the two. While the pair never confirmed their relationship, it was widely speculated after they reportedly grew close while costarring in Disney+’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series together.
Just a few weeks after “Drivers License” dropped, Sabrina released a hit song of her own titled “Skin,” which appeared to respond directly to Olivia’s apparent shade.
Firstly referring to someone that she “could have been friends” with if things worked out differently, Sabrina sings, “Maybe you didn’t mean it / Maybe 'blonde' was the only rhyme” — which many assumed was in reference to the standout “Drivers License” line.
She goes on: “You been tellin’ your side / So I’ll be telling mine,” before singing: “You can try to get under my skin / While he's on mine ... Don't drive yourself insane / It won't always be this way.” Again, many fans guessed that Sabrina was shading Olivia, specifically picking up on her use of the word “drive.”
Fast forward a few months, and Olivia amped things up a notch when she released her debut album Sour, which was full of songs charting a messy breakup with an ex who “found a new girl.”
Meanwhile, Joshua — who’d also released an eyebrow-raising song called “Lie Lie Lie” shortly after “Drivers License” came out — attempted to ease the seemingly growing tension between Olivia and Sabrina, telling fans not to “forget the value” of the young artists outside of all the drama.
Long story short, Joshua, Olivia, and Sabrina found themselves at the center of public attention for months, and were constantly asked about the apparent love triangle and feud in the press.
So, when pictures surfaced of both Olivia and Sabrina in attendance at the Met Gala this year, fans quickly wondered if the two had run into each other at all during the night.
Now, thanks to a new carousel of “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” photos shared by Vogue from inside the Met, we know that the pair not only bumped into each other — marking their first public interaction — but also engaged in a conversation.
In the background of one of Vogue’s images, Sabrina and Olivia can be seen chatting away on the carpet behind the likes of Sebastian Stan and Kim Kardashian.
And it’s safe to say that the sneaky conversation didn’t go unnoticed by fans, who quickly flooded the comments with references to the surprise interaction.
Elsewhere, while both Sabrina and Olivia have laid low on the “Drivers License” drama in recent months, their mutual connection Joshua recently spoke out about the wave of attention he faced during an interview with People in March.
In the candid interview, Joshua reflected on his decision to release his Crisis / Secret / Set Me Free EP — which contains several apparent references to Olivia as he charts his feelings of emotional heartbreak — many months after all their drama had died down in the press.
The trio of songs ultimately ended up rehashing Joshua’s apparent feud with Olivia, as many fans interpreted his lyrics as jabs toward the Sour singer.
In one of the tracks, titled “Crisis,” Joshua appears to accuse Olivia of sensationalizing their relationship drama “for the headlines,” singing the lyrics “Messin' with my life as a career move,” before later adding, “Oh, I wish that I could open my eyes and the nightmare be over / But you sensationalize, keep fannin' the fire for the headlines.”
And in another song, titled “Secret,” Joshua directly quotes one of Olivia’s biggest hits, “Good 4 U.” “I really hope you had your fun, good for you foolin' everyone,” he sings, before adding, “When your 'woe is me' stops workin' / I bet your songs won't sound the same / The truth you can't deny changed everything / Oh, you can't hide behind what's clear as day.”
Reflecting on why he decided to release the songs in December, Joshua told People that it was his way of “grieving” through his emotions, but admitted that he found the week after their release to be “worse than the year combined.”
“I got what I had to say off of my chest, but it brought all that stuff back up, and the healing isn't very linear,” he said.
