Sabrina Carpenter made waves on Saturday Night Live after delivering a bold and uncensored performance of her track Nobody’s Son during the October 18 episode.
The pop star, who pulled double duty as both host and musical guest, stunned viewers when she sang the lyric “He sure f—-d me up” twice, with NBC censors apparently failing to mute or bleep the profanity in real time.
The moment aired live and unfiltered on both the East Coast broadcast and Peacock, leaving audiences surprised by the slip.
Viewers on the West Coast, however, noticed a brief audio cut during the same part of the song, suggesting the network added a delay to prevent a repeat of the uncensored moment.
Carpenter’s Nobody’s Son performance came near the end of the show, set against a martial arts–inspired stage backdrop. Earlier in the night, she performed her other hit, Manchild, marking her debut as both SNL host and performer.
The incident wasn’t entirely out of character for Carpenter, who has recently embraced an edgier tone in her public appearances.
Just last month, during her acceptance speech for Best Album at the 2025 VMAs, she made headlines for another spontaneous use of profanity.
“This world, as we all know, can be so full of criticism and discrimination and negativity,” she said at the time.
“So to get to be a part of something so often, more than not, that is something that can bring you light, make you smile, make you dance and make you feel like the world is your f—–g oyster, I am so grateful.”
Unplanned swearing has long been a part of SNL’s unpredictable legacy too.
Stars like Kristen Stewart, Sam Rockwell, and Ariana Grande have all let the F-word slip on live television, as have cast members including Norm Macdonald and Jenny Slate.
Over the decades, the show has also seen its share of headline-making performances, from Rage Against the Machine’s flag protest in 1996 to Ashlee Simpson’s infamous lip-sync mishap in 2004.
Carpenter’s unfiltered SNL moment quickly became one of the most talked-about performances of the night, continuing her streak of confidence, spontaneity, and a little bit of controversy, the kind that keeps live TV as unpredictable as ever.
