Taylor Swift had the time of her life at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs). From dancing in her seat to an endless supply of drinks, the Grammy winner’s reactions to the award show was almost as fun as the actual VMAs.
However, there was one moment when Swift appeared to accidentally break her expensive statement ring that seemed to briefly put a damper on the party.
For this year’s VMAs, which celebrates the best music videos and artists of the year, the “Anti-Hero” singer walked the red carpet in a black, floor-length Versace dress with ruching and gold button details. She accessorised the ensemble with layers of jewellery, including a $43,500 necklace from Anita Ko, a vintage diamond necklace worth $65,000, and $12,000 statement ring from Van Cleef & Arpels.
Unfortunately, it was the latter that Swift appeared to break in between showing off her best dance moves.
The Onyx and Diamond ring from Van Cleef & Arpels – a French luxury jewellery company – featured a gold beaded band, with a studded diamond head surrounded by a black, onyx gemstone.
In one video captured at the event, courtesy of the MTV camera operator dedicated to filming Swift’s every reaction, the “Bad Blood” singer pulled a very relatable face when she realised that she broke the $12,000 ring. She held up the broken ring to a VMAs security guard, and pointed at the piece that had gone missing. Both her friends and fellow attendees then assisted Swift by scanning the floor for pieces of her broken ring.
While it’s unclear whether Swift recovered the broken stone, she appeared to have removed the Van Cleef & Arpels ring when she accepted her final award of the night, Video of the Year, for her hit song, “Anti-Hero”.
Despite the mishap, the amusing face she pulled when she realised part of the ring had gone missing might go down in history as one of the best Swift moments ever.
“One of the funniest moments from the #MTV VMAs has to be Taylor’s face after breaking her $12,000 ring,” said one fan on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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“HER FACE,” said someone else.
“Taylor partied too hard,” another fan jokingly replied.
This wasn’t the only memorable moment Swift gave fans during the awards show. She couldn’t contain her excitement when NSYNC reunited at the VMAs and gave her the award for Best Pop Video. Swift hugged each member on stage, telling them she had their toy dolls when she was a child. NSYNC member Lance Bass also took the opportunity to hand her multiple friendship bracelets, in keeping with the popular tradition among Swift’s fans.
“What are you doing now? Are you doing something?” she asked the group on stage. “They’re gonna do something and I need to know what it is! You’re pop personified.”
The “Shake It Off” singer also appeared to let loose, as she was seen holding her plastic cup – which was filled with a clear, possibly alcoholic drink – in her hand at all times. In one clip, she struggled to lift her drink out of her seat’s cup holder, while another video captured her stunned face when a server arrived at her seat with a tray of six drinks in hand, as she appeared to ask him: “What is it?”
The 33-year-old singer was the biggest winner at the VMAs this year, taking home the awards for Best Pop, Song of the Year, Best Direction, and Video of the Year. Her number of VMA wins now sits at 23, making her the second-most decorated artist in the award show’s history after Beyoncé.
Read the 2023 MTV VMAs winners list in full here.