Never shy about dancing and singing along during live performances, Taylor Swift has perfected the art of getting screen time during awards shows.
But such a skill can also backfire, and indeed it did during Sunday’s MTV Video Music Awards, when Swift was caught on screen seemingly mouthing “shut the f*** up” during a One Direction speech.
On stage to announce the award for Best Pop Video, the boys of One Direction–including Swift’s ex-boyfriend Harry Styles–went through the customary routine of thanking the fans in attendance.
Immediately after One Direction member Zayn Malik declares, “The best fans are in New York,” the MTV cameras cut to Taylor Swift apparently mouthing the explicit statement to her adjacently-seated friend Selena Gomez. Gomez ended up winning the award for her “Come & Get It.”
As of press time, MTV had not yet removed the shot, which comes at around 55 seconds, from its official VMAs video. And even if it does, its Tumblr account has captured the moment in GIF form.