Wow, we got another ‘Adele Dazeem’ moment, courtesy of John Travolta. In one of this year’s VMAs most awkward moments, Travolta mistook RuPaul’s Drag Race queen Jade Jolie for Taylor Swift.
The actor was presenting the Video of the Year award alongside Queen Latifah: “I shouldn't do this, because I'll just mispronounce shit and fuck it up,” he joked, as Latifah announced Swift’s win for her “You Need to Calm Down” video.
Swift gathered her video co-stars to join her as she accepted the award on stage – Drag Race legends Jade Jolie, Trinity the Tuck, A’keria Davenport, Tatiana included. As the group arrived on stage, Travolta attempted to give the Moonman award to Jade Jolie, mistaking her for Swift. Jolie – who was a contestant on the fifth season of RuPaul’s drag competition show and placed eighth – awkwardly surveyed Travolta, smiled, laughed, and gave an awkward side-hug.
Jolie appears in the “You Need to Calm Down” video – a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community – as a Swift impersonator, a job she does very well IRL too. I mean, look at the two of them together.
“Almost got my first award tonight thanks to @johntravolta!” Jolie said in an Instagram caption.
It’s been five years since Travolta announced Idina Menzel’s 2014 Oscar performance as “Adele Dazeem”, a moment that launched thousands of memes.
Jolie did reportedly get her own Moonman statue tough, as did the other video co-stars. As the Independent reports, Swift allegedly refused to perform unless each also received a statue.
Elsewhere in the evening, Dazed cover star Lil Nas X picked up an award, Missy Elliott blew everyone away with the medley performance of a lifetime, and Lizzo performed in front of a giant inflatable ass because she is that bitch.
Get that Moonman, Jade!