‘Him DMing you is wildddd’: Benson Boone launches into online beef with a Harry Styles-loving hater, and all over a TikTok

The Grammy Awards have always been a career defining moment for many artists across the world, and the tension before and after the prestigious award ceremony is felt even among the fans. 

This year in particular seemed to be geared towards many “new” artists who would shape popular culture in the coming years. One of these artists, Benson Boone, has been making the rounds on social media, particularly TikTok, for reasons not particularly related to his music, and it’s all thanks to one trouble-stirring Harry Styles fan.

“Push him off the stage!,” aka Benson Boone’s first internet beef

The day after the Grammys, Tiktok user @Carrottlime made a video captioned “HARRY COME HOME,” where she referred to Boone as “some random guy” who was “trying to come for his (Harry Styles’) nachos.” 

“Nachos” have recently become a popularized internet slang referring to an artist’s popular work or style. She accused him of being “disingenuous” with his performance outfit — a sparkling blue seventies style jumpsuit with a plunging neckline — adding that Styles would have worn it better by accessorizing with a feather boa. She also begged Harry Styles to come “push him off the stage,” and that she didn’t want to see Boone on her screen next year.

Not long afterwards the same user posted an Instagram message from Boone himself which read:

“What a sad video to post. I hope someday when Harry comes to the Grammys you feel fulfilled. But in the meantime I genuinely hope you get all the good feelings in the world from tearing other people down.”

This screenshot brought even more attention to the original video and her subsequent posts, making @carrottlime the first internet user to be embroiled in a public beef with Benson Boone.

The aftermath

Since her video went viral, @carrottlime has had to make subsequent videos to fully explain her motives and thoughts behind the original video and all the attention it garnered from the internet. The comments on the videos seem to be split halfway between other Harry Styles fans and the albeit fewer — but not less vocal — Benson Boone fandom. In one of these followup videos, she refers to Boone as a “ mormon straight man” and his fans as “angry misogynists.”

But while @carrottlime has a number of supporters, others think of her as yet another victim of what some think is a rise in codependent fan behavior and celebrity bullying. Those who see the exchange this way also seem to think Boone is in the right, and the message is simply an attempt to defend himself; however, other commenters have described his response as everything from “weird” to “unprofessional.” As one user put it, “Him DMing you is wildddd.” Nonetheless, the TikToker’s X account has since been made private, probably because a majority of those not in support seem to come from this social media platform, unlike TikTok.

Harry Styles, who is not at all new to post-Grammy vitriol, was in fact not in attendance that night. He also wasn’t nominated for any awards or scheduled to perform or present anything. He was instead spotted in Rome, Italy, probably celebrating his birthday. The British pop star has kept a low profile, save for some hints at an upcoming album. He also sat out on the 2024 Grammy Awards, which many consider understandable after his award speech at the 2023 Grammys subjected him to an online stoning.

Meanwhile, Boone himself has been quiet ever since his DM went viral. He has also had to issue a cheeky apology for adjusting his crotch onstage at the end of his performance at the event.