Dakota Johnson hosted Saturday Night Live, and fans were delighted to see Taylor Swift join her on stage.
Their friendship made headlines at the 2026 MTV VMAs, which the women attended together on Sept. 27. That evening, Johnson presented Swift with the inaugural Artist Director Honors award, and Swift premiered her “Patient Zero” music video, starring Johnson and Colin Farrell. The women were later seen hanging out together backstage.
Less than a week later, on Oct. 3, Johnson hosted SNL. Here’s what an expert noticed that had the “Fearless” singer looking paralyzed during the opening monologue.
Inbaal Honigman is a body language expert. She has appeared in the media for more than two decades, offering her expertise and perspectives on several pop culture figures for Big Brother’s Little Brother, Elle Magazine, and talkSPORT radio, to name a few.
Speaking on behalf of Casino.org US, Honigman told Showbiz Cheat Sheet, “When Taylor joins Dakota on SNL‘s iconic stage, it is the perfect opportunity to discover whether the two are close friends or just work buddies. Johnson’s initial response to having Swift join her is reverence.
“The actress glances to the side, keeping her awestruck gaze on her approaching musical friend. Johnson’s fingers are seen picking at each other, signifying some stress. Johnson’s unflinching eyes welcoming Swift indicate the level of respect that Dakota feels towards Taylor. She expresses her devotion by giving Taylor her full attention in that moment. Dakota is a Swiftie for sure. The finger-picking is a self-soothing behavior, showing that Dakota is nervous and wants to get things just right.”
Honigman continued, “Taylor approaches Dakota with her head tilted to the side, showing empathy. Taylor’s eyes are fully on Dakota, returning the latter’s reverential gaze with one of her own. They’re both superfans of each other. When the two women stand side by side, however, something fascinating happens. More than just business mates, they show themselves to have a true friendship, too.
“They smile using the exact same facial cues, which lets us know that they’re on the same wavelength. The apples of their cheeks are fully rounded. Those rounded cheeks are the hallmark of a genuine, happy smile. Both ladies flash their teeth and lower their eyes in a matching giggle. The lowered eyes are shy and reticent. It is as if they’ve got a secret reason to be laughing together, and these matching facial expressions reveal that they’re both members of a little private club of two.”
The expert added that the pop star didn’t appear totally comfortable in the comedy setting, “During their little skit, it is apparent that Dakota is an actress, as her face commits to the bit and she responds to the skit’s lines. It is equally apparent that Taylor is no actress, as her expression remains pretty much the same when she reads her lines.
“In fact, Taylor’s frozen expression could indicate that she’s paralyzed with fear in front of SNL‘s seasoned comedy audience. The two ladies’ matching facial expressions are a sign of spiritual alignment. They’re true soul friends. Johnson may be in awe of Swift, but the opposite is also true. They’re both amazed by each other.”
Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges that conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.
