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Jack Antonoff has responded to rumors that he wore earplugs during Katy Perry's performance at the 2024 MTV VMAs, where Perry accepted the prestigious Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. The speculation began after viewers noticed Antonoff putting something in his ears during the show, leading to assumptions that he was trying to block out Perry's singing, especially considering the past tension between Perry and Antonoff's close collaborator, Taylor Swift.
Addressing the controversy on X, Antonoff confirmed that he did indeed wear earplugs, but for a practical reason. "I would like to tell you directly from me that I did in fact use earplugs the other night," he wrote, explaining that they were blue "hearos" earplugs, which he uses regularly to protect his hearing. "I'm mortified to admit that I've been using them for a long time as well as buying them in bulk."
Antonoff went on to clarify that his use of earplugs was not limited to the VMAs. "I do not only use them when in 100 plus DB environments. It is humiliating to admit that I use them on planes and every night while sleeping." He further joked about the incident, saying, "There is nothing left to do but apologize and thank those who have covered this story because although it's an embarrassment to my family and I, I do believe that this was a very important and pressing issue that needed to be exposed."
The backlash against Antonoff began after fans posted clips of him during Perry's 20-minute medley. In the videos, Antonoff can be seen standing with his arm around Qualley before putting something in his ears, while others around him, including Swift, were dancing to Perry's performance. This led to speculation that Antonoff was snubbing Perry in favor of Swift, who famously had a public feud with the singer years ago.
However, Perry and Swift have since reconciled, with Perry even attending a stop on Swift's Eras Tour. Despite the initial uproar, some fans defended Antonoff, pointing out that it's common for music producers to wear earplugs at loud events. "Uhhhhh he had earplugs... to protect his hearing (as you should if you produce music)," one user noted.
Antonoff ended his light-hearted response with a faux apology, stating, "I'm sorry to those I let down... and today I will not be going to work and instead thinking about my earplug use and everyone that has been affected by it." Nevertheless, he reassured fans that his band, Bleachers, would continue their tour as scheduled.
