Accused of Islamophobia at the opening of Coachella, Sabrina Carpenter apologizes and regrets confusion

A few words spoken on stage were enough to create controversy. American superstar Sabrina Carpenter finally responded to accusations of Islamophobia after her grand opening show at the iconic Coachella festival this Friday in the Californian desert (United States).

The 26-year-old singer had been criticized after responding to a shout from the audience during her concert. “What is that shout? Is it yodeling?”, she said to the audience. “I don’t like it. It’s weird.”

“No bad intentions”

However, this shout of joy, called “Zaghrouta”, is actually attributed to the Arab community. Several internet users were outraged by the scene, shared on social networks, and pointed out a reaction that was perceived as Islamophobic.

“I apologize, I didn’t see this person with my own eyes and I didn’t hear well,” Sabrina Carpenter tried to respond in a short text shared on X (formerly Twitter). “My reaction was purely due to confusion and sarcasm, with no bad intentions. I could have handled the situation better!”

“Now, I know what a Zaghrouta is! I am ready to welcome all shouts of joy and yodeling from now on,” she concluded.

Dressed in red glitter and white boots, the American pop star was one of the headliners alongside Iggy Pop and Justin Bieber at this festival organized in Indio. Coachella, which marks the beginning of the festival season in the United States, is set to end this Sunday before a second weekend from April 17 to 19 with nearly the same lineup.