Did Sabrina Carpenter trigger Zohran Mamdani's win? Viral claim explained after historic NYC mayoral election

Zohran Mamdani won the New York City mayoral election, despite an underdog bid. However, his pitch against inequality and corruption saw the 34-year-old beat former governor Andrew Cuomo, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa to make history. Mamdani is set to become NYC's first Muslim, South Asian mayor after his swearing-in on January 1, 2026.

Now, a viral claim on social media has linked Sabrina Carpenter and the mayor-elect. Many feel that the Espresso singer might have triggered Mamdani's mayoral election win.

One person on X wrote “Currently thinking about how if Sabrina Carpenter didn’t film that music video which led to a church getting investigated which then led to Eric Adams getting indicted, Mamdani wouldn’t be mayor-elect rn.”

Another added, “thinking about how sabrina carpenter may have inadvertently been the catalyst for zohran getting elected.”

On Reddit too, a person asked “Can someone confirm/deny the Sabrina Carpenter to Muslim mayor pipeline for me please.”

While there isn't a direct link, many believe there is a chain reaction of events that could have been kicked off by Sabrina Carpenter that led to Mamdani being elected NYC's mayor.

As one of the people sharing the theory said, it all starts with Carpenter's song Feather. The music video was shot in and outside Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

However, Carpenter's video had garnered controversy as it showed her dancing around in a revealing black dress and veil, after apparently committing murder or witnessing deaths of men who acted inappropriately towards her. Initially, Sabrina Carpenter had brushed off the controversy, but it didn't die down.

The Diocese of Brooklyn issued a statement via the Catholic News Agency two days after the music video released. Bishop Robert Brennan was reportedly ‘appalled’ by what was permitted to be filmed in the church. Catholic priest, Monsignor Jamie J. Gigantiello, was stripped of his administrative duties for this oversight, New York Times reported. Meanwhile, a 2024 Entertainment Weekly report claims that this debacle might have put federal attention to the church.

This led to authorities subpoenaing the church as Gigantiello's alleged business deals with then-mayor Eric Adams' office were put under the scanner. This, in turn, led him to becoming part of the federal probe against Adams. Gigantiello's suspected dealings with Frank Carone, a confidante and former chief of staff of Adams' office, put him in the spotlight.

The investigation into Adams for federal corruption led to his indictment in September 2024. He was charged with bribery among other things. At the time, Carpenter had joked that she got the mayor indicted. Adams, meanwhile, pleaded not-guilty and the charges were dropped without prejudice in April 2025. This meant that Adams could re-run for mayor, which is exactly what he did. However, he stepped down a month ahead of the elections, citing that there was ‘constant media speculation’ about him. Adams bowing out helped narrow the candidate pool to a three-way contests between Mamdani, Cuomo, and Sliwa. If he were to contest, the votes would have gotten more divided. Thus, many believe this helped Mamdani win the NYC mayoral-election.

Thus, without Carpenter filming Feather in 2023, focus would unlikely have gone to Jamie J. Gigantiello, and without that Adams might not have been indicted in 2024. Notably, the link has been made by fans, and there is no direct cause and effect chain tying Carpenter's actions and Mamdani's victory.

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