Selena Gomez jokingly mentions Taylor Swift’s ‘childless cat lady’ signoff at the Emmys

During the 2024 Emmys, Selena Gomez subtly referenced her close friend Taylor Swift while on stage. 

Presenting alongside her Only Murders in the Building co-stars, Steve Martin and Martin Short, Gomez added a playful remark involving Swift’s recent viral moment. 

The trio exchanged humorous banter, and Gomez slipped in a “childless cat lady” joke, just days after Swift had embraced the term while endorsing Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

The phrase originally gained traction in 2021 when Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance used it in a disparaging way. During a speech, Vance criticized Democrats and "childless cat ladies" for, in his view, being unhappy with their lives. 

His comments resurfaced after his selection as Donald Trump’s running mate, prompting reactions across social media, including at the Emmys.

Gomez, while presenting, joked, “And let me say what an honor it is to work with two guys who are this far away from being childless cat ladies,” a playful dig at Martin and Short that had the audience laughing.

This nod followed Swift’s viral post where she had repurposed Vance’s words to endorse Kamala Harris and Tim Walz for the 2024 election. Swift signed off her endorsement as the “childless cat lady,” flipping the insult into a point of pride.