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Backstage @ VMAs: Kanye West vs. Taylor Swift – What happened?
Photo credit: AP
Oops, he did it again.
Just when people had started to forget his awards-show tirades, Kanye West launched into his worst ever at the MTV Video Music Awards last night.
When country-pop teen sensation Taylor Swift won the evening’s first award. best female video for “You Belong With Me,” trumping Beyonce’s “Single Ladies,” she was genuinely surprised.
“I always dreamed about what it would be like to maybe win one of these some day, but I never actually thought that it would actually happen,” Swift said. “I sing country music so thank you so much for giving me a VMA award.”
Then, West rushed the stage and grabbed the microphone from her hand.
“Taylor, I’m really happy for you,” he said. “I’m gonna let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time. One of the best videos of all time.”
Beyonce looks shocked in her seat, mouthing the words, “Oh my god.”
Swift looks stunned as West hands the mic back to her and she is ushered back stage. MTV officials then ask West to leave the building.
According to Jay-Z’s DJ Neil Armstrong, Swift and her mom were then backstage crying after the outburst. Later, in the press room, Swift said, “Yeah, I was offended.”
“I was standing on stage and I was really excited because I had just won the award,” she said. “Then, I was really excited because Kanye West was on stage. Then, I wasn’t so excited any more.”
She wasn’t the only one who took offense, as the celeb-heavy crowd booed at the mention of West’s name the rest of the evening. When Diddy read West’s name as a nominee and was greeted with a chorus of boos, he asked, “What’d I say?”
When Beyonce later won video of the year, she called Swift to the stage to finish her acceptance speech, saying, “I remember being 17 years old, up for my first MTV award with Destiny’s Child and it was one of the most exciting moments in my life, so I’d like for Taylor to come out and have her moment.”
Swift was greeted by a standing ovation and got to say her thank yous.
Afterwards, Swift told reporters, “Beyonce has always been a great person – before the talent or anything else,” Swift said. “I thought I couldn’t love Beyonce more and then tonight happened.”
West took to his blog to apologize to Swift, saying (in his apology-trademark all-caps): “I'M SOOOOO SORRY TO TAYLOR SWIFT AND HER FANS AND HER MOM. I SPOKE TO HER MOTHER RIGHT AFTER AND SHE SAID THE SAME THING MY MOTHER WOULD'VE SAID. SHE IS VERY TALENTED!”
Will West take his apology further on tonight’s “The Jay Leno Show” debut? Well, he’s booked as a performer with Jay-Z and Rihanna to do “Run This Town.” Maybe Leno’s new show will get a Hugh Grant moment early in its run.
>> MTV VMA show photos
>> MTV VMA red carpet photos
PHOTO: Kanye West takes the mic from Taylor Swift at MTV VMAs by Jason DeCrow for Associated Press.
Tags: Kanye West , Taylor Swift , Beyonce , MTV VMAs
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