A video of Taylor Swift’s producer seemingly putting in ‘AirPods’ during Katy Perry’s VMA performance sparked outrage on social media.

But now, he’s responded to clear up exactly what he was doing.

While Taylor Swift was busy fangirling over friend Katy Perry during the ‘Firework’ singers performance at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) on September 11, her producer Jack Antonoff looked seemingly less bothered.

The producer found him supposedly ‘outed’ online by Perry fans, who brandished their keyboards and wasted no time slamming him for allegedly being caught putting in ‘AirPods’ during Perry’s performance.

Indeed, footage shows Swift and Suki Waterhouse dancing and singing along to Perry’s rendition of 2013 release ‘Dark Horse’.

However, just behind them and to the side, Swift’s producer Jack Antonoff can be seen reaching down into his bag and pulling out something, before popping whatever he’s just got out into each ear.

Alas, it didn’t take long for the social media trolls to descend, hopping to conclusions as quickly as Perry made an x-rated confession about her and Orlando Bloom’s relationship on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast.

Fans were quick to assume that Jack Antonoff was putting in AirPods during Katy Perry’s VMAs performance (MTV)

A Twitter user wrote: “Jack antonoff putting airpods in during katy’s performance… such loser behaviour.”

And Antonoff has since responded to the backlash, taking to social media to clear up what was really going on in the now-viral video.

In an Instagram Story yesterday, he clarified he wasn’t using AirPods but was ‘in fact’ using ‘earplugs’ on the night of the VMAs.

The post continues: “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. i would also like to be honest and get ahead of that fact that 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 sleep. 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.

“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.”