Bebe Rexha Reveals Taylor Swift Reached Out During 2019 Grammys Dress Controversy

Bebe Rexha has revealed that Taylor Swift privately reached out to her after multiple fashion designers refused to dress her for the 2019 Grammy Awards because of her size. Rexha shared the previously undisclosed gesture during a red-carpet interview with E! News at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards, held Sunday, September 27, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

Rexha, 37, told E! News correspondent Keltie Knight that Swift, 36, contacted her directly during the 2019 awards season. ‘I couldn’t find a dress, and she had reached out to me because we’re the same age,’ Rexha said. ‘And I thought that was really, really, really kind of her. Nobody really reached out—like some people did, but for her, at such a high level, to make me feel like I belong was really, really nice.’

The designer snub became public in January 2019 when Rexha posted a since-deleted Instagram video explaining that her team had contacted numerous designers ahead of the Grammy Awards, where she was nominated for Best New Artist and Best Country Duo/Group Performance. ‘So I finally get nominated at the Grammys and it’s like the coolest thing ever,’ she said at the time. ‘A lot of times artists will go and talk to designers and they’ll make them custom dresses to walk the red carpet. So I had my team hit out a lot of designers and a lot of them do not want to dress me because I’m too big.’

Rexha, who said she wore a size 6-8 at the time, pushed back against the designers’ stance in the same video. ‘You’re saying all the women in the world that are a size 8 and up are not beautiful and that they cannot wear your dresses,’ she said. The post drew widespread support, including an offer from designer August Getty, who responded on Instagram and offered to create a gown for her. Rexha ultimately wore a red Monsoori gown to the 2019 Grammy ceremony.

At the 2026 VMAs, Rexha also reflected on the late Dolly Parton, with whom she collaborated on the 2023 song ‘Seasons.’ ‘She is the baddest b—h,’ Rexha said. ‘Her corset was tighter than mine. Her heels were insane, and then I looked at my outfit, and I was like, “I feel like I’m not doing enough.” She had her hair so high.’ Rexha added that working with Parton, who died in August 2026 at age 80, exceeded her expectations. ‘She was like the most energetic, kind, chill,’ Rexha said. ‘I loved it because sometimes when you meet your idols, they kind of let you down. I’ve been in situations like that, but with her, she was amazing.’

Rexha attended the 2026 VMAs as a nominee for Best Dance for ‘New Religion,’ her collaboration with Faithless. The award went to Madonna for ‘Confessions II – The Film.’ Rexha walked the red carpet in an all-black lace corset and train by Dreaming Elie, styled with Jimmy Choo lace-up boots and Loree Rodkin jewelry.

Taylor Swift had a major presence at the same ceremony. She received the first-ever Artist Director Honors, recognizing her work behind the camera and contributions to music video storytelling. Dakota Johnson presented the inaugural award. Swift also won Video of the Year for ‘The Fate of Ophelia’ and is now the most awarded artist in VMAs history with 30 Moon Persons. During the broadcast, Swift debuted the music video for her new single ‘Patient Zero.’

The appearance followed the September 25 release of ‘The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore,’ an expanded edition of Swift’s 2025 album featuring four new songs. Swift set a 2026 single-day Spotify record for the most-streamed female artist, driven in part by the new tracks.

As of September 29, 2026, neither Taylor Swift nor her representatives have publicly commented on Rexha’s recollection of the 2019 outreach. Rexha continues her independent career following the release of her ‘Dirty Blonde’ album and has not announced any further plans related to the 2019 Grammy dress incident.