"Pop music turned into a crime drama": Fans react as Sabrina Carpenter's 'arrest' of Olivia Dean at ACL goes viral

Sabrina Carpenter staged a playful "arrest" of Olivia Dean mid-performance at the Austin City Limits Music Festival this weekend. It has now become one of the most viral moments of the festival. Clips of the arrest are being circulated across social media platforms. Fans are reacting, saying:

"headline sounds like pop music turned into a crime drama"

The "arrest" took place during Sabrina Carpenter's second weekend performance at the ACL Festival in Austin, Texas, on October 12, 2025. Carpenter paused her set to engage with the crowd. She said:

"I see a lot of, like, puppets in the crowd, which is really not what I'm looking for, actually. It's not my type. But I do see someone beautiful up front right here. What's your name, gorgeous? Olivia? Olivia, I'm kind of taken aback by your beauty. Where are you from? London? London! Give it up for London, who cares?"

Addressing Olivia Dean, Sabrina Carpenter stated:

"Olivia, I don't have like a lot of good pick-up lines, but could I be the man you need? Maybe? Um, so you are going to jail, unfortunately, for being too beautiful, but I'm gonna serenade you with this song. These are for you, my love. This one's for Olivia, everybody. I could just dive right into you, girl. It's a really good song. It's your song."

For context, the "arrest" is a recurring bit during Sabrina Carpenter's Juno performances, where she "detains" someone in the audience for being "too hot." Previous "criminals" have included Stranger Things actor Joe Keery.

Internet reactions to Sabrina Carpenter arresting Olivia Dean at ACL festival

Pop Crave took to its official X (formerly Twitter) page to share a clip of Sabrina Carpenter's "arrest", captioning:

"Sabrina Carpenter arrests Olivia Dean at Austin City Limits."

Fans were notably quick to weigh in on the comment section of the X post as they penned their reactions about the viral moment involving Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Dean. Below are some of their remarks:

"Omg yes some Olivia Dean love. Like 😩 I have been obsessed with her music on Spotify.", expressed a netizen.

"Wow, was not expecting that plot twist at a music festival. Who knew Austin City Limits would turn into a cop show?", commented another.

"Can’t believe the headlines mixing up Austin City Limits vibes with made-up drama between Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Dean. Both are artists who bring their own unique style and energy to the music scene, no need for fake stories about arrests or conflicts. It’s way more interesting to focus on what they’re actually doing, Sabrina has been dropping some catchy tracks lately, and Olivia’s soulful voice is something else. Let’s keep the buzz about their music and leave the false drama out of it, people got better things to talk about", penned a third.

Others also chimed in:

"Finally! Sabrina Carpenter showing she’s not here to play!!! keeping the vibes in check at ACL. Olivia Dean better watch her step!", stated a fan.

"Sabrina Carpenter pulled up, flashed the badge, and booked the stage. ACL under new management. 🔥👮‍♀️🎤", declared another.

"i can never skip a Sabrina Carpenter arrest video", shared a third.

Amid this "arrest" buzz, Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Dean are both set to hit the road to support their individual new albums. Sabrina Carpenter's upcoming live dates are as follows: