Mariah Carey found herself at the center of online criticism after her appearance at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, where fans accused the singer of lip-syncing during her performance.
The American star opened part of the ceremony in a flowy white dress as the Winter Games officially began.
She performed the classic song. Flybut viewers soon wondered if he was singing live.
Many of those watching the event, both inside the San Siro and at home, felt that his voice did not match the movements of his mouth.
The social media reaction was swift and relentless.
Several viewers noted that Carey seemed to move her lips more slowly than the song was playing, while others felt she was making little effort to hide it.
One user wrote during the performance: “I haven’t seen a lip sync performance worse than this in years.”
Another post read: “Some of Mariah Carey’s Most Awful Lip Syncs [facepalm emoji] Come on Italy, you have your own singers!!
Others echoed a similar frustration, with one viewer commenting: “Witnessing Mariah Carey at the #Olympics2026 opening ceremony…she’s stiff, lip-synching, and looks like she’s reading from a teleprompter.”
As clips of the performance circulated online, criticism continued to mount.
“Mariah Carey’s lip sync looks awfully weird,” one user posted, while another said, “The worst part is that Mariah Carey isn’t even trying to hide the fact that she’s lip syncing.”
Some fans seemed particularly disappointed given the magnitude of the event.
“Mariah Carey isn’t even singing this hate lip sync,” one person wrote, while another added: “Mariah Carey is lip syncing at the damn Olympics.”
Others questioned why Carey was chosen.
“I’m very confused why American Mariah Carey is lip-syncing at the opening ceremony in Milan,” one user posted.
Carey, 55, is not of Italian ancestry, having been born to a father of Irish descent and an Afro-Venezuelan mother.
However, she is trained in opera and is widely known for her impressive vocal range, which only fueled disappointment among viewers expecting a live performance.
As the Olympics continue, the moment remains a topic of conversation online, with fans debating whether such a high-profile ceremony should allow lip-synced performances.
