Why Jack Antonoff Wore Earplugs During Katy Perry At VMAs

Jack Antonoff had a very simple explanation for plugging his ears during Katy Perry’s performance at the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday ― and it had nothing to do with Perry herself.

The Bleachers frontman and longtime Taylor Swift collaborator drew a flurry of backlash online when photos emerged showing him popping in what appeared to be AirPods as Perry was performing a medley of her greatest hits.

Many of the comments attempted to loop Antonoff ― who has co-written and produced songs on some of Swift’s biggest albums, including her most recent, “The Tortured Poets Department” ― into the “feud” that has been rumored to exist between Perry and Swift for years. (Never mind that the two women seemingly settled that alleged dispute some time ago.)

“This guy is pathetic. Katy has never even acknowledged his existence…lol,” one person wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Added another: “That’s so disrespectful wtf just because you hate someone doesn’t mean you do that she doesn’t even know him…”

A number of media outlets, including the U.K.’s Daily Mail, picked up on the frenzy with articles blasting Antonoff’s “odd behavior” while Perry was onstage.

By Thursday, Antonoff responded to the speculation by clarifying that he was, in fact, wearing earplugs and not AirPods, as had been reported.

“i would like to tell you directly from me that i did in fact use earplugs the other night,” he wrote in a series of posts on X. “they were blue ‘hearos’ brand and im mortified to admit that i’ve been using them for a long time as well as buying them in bulk.”

After pointing out that he uses the earplugs on planes and while sleeping, the 11-time Grammy winner wrote cheekily: “i’m sorry to those i let down and today i will not being going to work and instead thinking about my earplug use and everyone that has been affected by it.”

“the band and i have decided to keep all dates as scheduled,” he added.

Though Antonoff, who is married to actor Margaret Qualley, might have been able to better take in Perry’s VMAs performance with the earplugs, he has seemingly criticized the “Teenage Dream” singer in the past.

Speaking to GQ in 2014, he compared Perry ― among other female artists ― unfavorably to Swift, who would go on to release her pop crossover album, “1989,” later that year.

“Taylor Swift is cool, because she’s the closest thing today that hearkens to Michael Jackson — to great, great pop music,” Antonoff said at the time. “There’s a difference between her and [Lady] Gaga and Katy Perry and Lily Allen and all that. It all feels throwaway, comparatively.”