Doja Cat Stuns at 2025 MTV VMAs with Bold Red Lipstick Stunt

The rapper turns heads on the red carpet with a lipstick-eating moment before delivering sizzling performances and multiple outfit changes

Doja Cat brought her signature flair and fearless fashion to the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, making headlines before she even stepped on stage. The 29-year-old rapper arrived at the UBS Arena in New York on Sunday, September 7, in a pastel Balmain minidress with a plunging neckline, metallic pink accents, and towering pastel-yellow heels. She accessorized with sparkling Chopard jewelry and a lipstick-shaped clutch by Judith Leiber Couture — a cheeky nod to the night’s most talked-about moment.

On the red carpet, Doja surprised photographers by applying a swipe of bright red lipstick and then biting into it, chewing with a grin as cameras flashed. “It was delicious,” she joked later in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. The daring move quickly became one of the most viral moments of the evening.

Red Carpet Drama and Performance Power

Her bold antics set the tone for the night, which she opened with a high-energy performance before making her first of several outfit changes. Later, she appeared in a structured black minidress with geometric neckline details, paired with matching arm accessories, black tights, and metallic blue heels. She also switched up her look with a shorter blonde bob styled with playful flipped ends.

The Grammy-winning artist has built a reputation for turning the VMAs into her personal runway. She made her debut at the awards in 2020, winning the PUSH Best New Artist award in a hot pink, crystalized Versace mini dress. The following year, she returned as host, cycling through multiple headline-making outfits — from a sculptural Thom Browne design she joked made her “look like a worm,” to a red chair she wore as both a hat and a seat.

A Style Evolution at the VMAs

Over the years, Doja has embraced everything from deconstructed couture to futuristic costumes at the annual event. At the 2023 VMAs, she stunned in a daring Monse design resembling a cobweb, complete with a platinum blonde buzz cut.

This year, however, it was her lipstick stunt — blending humor, shock, and style — that perfectly encapsulated her reputation as one of music’s most unpredictable and original stars.

The 2025 MTV VMAs aired live on CBS and MTV, with streaming available on Paramount+.