Kanye West apologizes to Taylor Swift

Before the MTV Video Music Awards even came to an end, rap star Kanye West had taken to his blog and issued an ALL-CAPS apology to country star Taylor Swift and her mother. "I spoke to her mother right after and she said the same thing my mother would've said," Kanye wrote in his explanation for interrupting Swift's VMA win.

Moments after Swift won the MTV VMA for best female video for "You Belong With Me,"  West appeared onstage and interrupted her speech. Swift was in the midst of talking about the difficulty country artists face in crossing over on MTV when West declared that the award should have gone to Beyoncé for her "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)." 

Throughout the remainder of the night, the VMA crowd at New York's Radio City Music Hall let West hear it, booing loudly anytime his name was mentioned. Pink, a performer on the telecast, took to her Twitter, and blasted Kanye -- its R-rated language prevents us from linking to it. 

West apparently didn't stay to see the awards through, and wrote on his blog that he watched the rest of the show "at the crib." "I'm sooooo sorry to Taylor Swift and her fans and her mom," West wrote. He also took a moment to praise Swift, and wrote that he likes "the lyrics about being a cheerleader and she's in the bleachers."

He continued, "I'm in the wrong for going on stage and taking away from her moment!" He added that Beyoncé's video remains "the best of the decade," and he apologized to his fans for letting them down.

West also tried to explain his reasons for interrupting Swift. He wrote: "Everybody wanna boooo me but I'm a fan of real pop cuture!!! ... I gave my awards to OutKast when they deserved it over me ... that's what it is." At the 2007 BET Awards, West attempted to give his trophy to OutKast's Big Boi and rap act UGK for their "International Player's Anthem."

Swift eventually did get a chance to give her acceptance speech. When Beyoncé won video of the year, she gracefully noted that she'd had her share of award-show moments, and called Swift back onstage.

This wasn't the first time West has had an award show outburst. He interrupted the 2006 MTV Europe Music Awards when he lost to Simian and claimed his clip should have won. In 2005, West noted that he would "have a problem" if he didn't win the Grammy for album of the year. He didn't win.

Shortly after posting his apology to Swift, West took a moment to commend tennis star Serena Williams, who also came under criticism this weekend in New York for an outburst at the U.S. Open.

--Todd Martens

Top photo: Kanye West and Taylor Swift / Associated Press
Middle photo: Screenshot of Kanye West's apology.

Comments

[Bobby B.]

if you're 13 and you're old enough to read this, why can't u comment? kanye is a jerk. sell your house now or sell your property now because you will not be able to afford it in the future. Kanye, you're a passing fancy....and not fancy in the desirable sense, fancy in the queen sense! you're gay, admit it...what's the "front"...you get worked up over Beyonce because she's a gay icon...and you're a gay man who needs that type of icon. if you were straight, you would just let it go, as most straight men do.

[Brownie]

wanna get away?

[Stephanie]

He shouldn't have done that. That was totally rude. It kind of changed the way i think of him.

[J]

Am I missing something here? Beyonce's video is NOT that great - because she can't dance very well! oh well, i guess controversy is more valuable these days than respect.

[Guam]

Kanye,

You may think you're the expert at judging pop music, but Taylor Swift sells more albums than you! No one even likes your music. Good God, retire already.

[Linda]

I am a BIG Hip Hop fan. I like country but sometimes don't understand it. I would have never done the sort of thing Kanye did to Taylor Swift. Just because I'm not big on country don't mean I don't find her talented. I will tell you who Kanye failed by his bad behavior. The kids 13 and under. These are the people who buy Taylor Swift's music. These are the people you want to win over. They spend more money on CD's than anyone. I'm glad Kanye apologized but disappointed in the way it was written. It makes its look like Hip Hop people are poorly educated with limited vocabulary. Very poor grammar. Also he tried to justify his actions by making himself look like the good guy referring to passing off an award to Outkast. Actually Outkast is the real winner. It sounds like Kanye may have unresolved issues.

[jro5000]

well kanye is still human and we all make mistakes granted he sould have handled it in a different way...but taylor swift cannot sing at all i watched the mtv awards and she did that performance it was horrible goes to show how good the recording studios are! and its sad how the music industry does not care about real talent and just another pretty face to profit on...

[Rodlae]

kanye still a beast

[Toni Chiesi]

kanye is a jerk.!!
HE shouldnt have done that to taylor she is a good artist and deserved that award. beyonce is good to but kanye is wrong! i never liked him anyway but now i hate the dude.

[Alondra Altamirano]

i liKE KANYE WEST did G00d bECAUSE THAT iS WHAT HE THiNKS AND iF PE0PlE liKE iT 0R N0T

[Ryan loyd]

After watching the MTV awards show that night I wish there was a show like bully beatdown for celebrities cus if anyone deseved a beatdown that little wanna be gangsta rapper kanye does. He disgust me with all of his actions over the years but this one I think has topped them all. Did u see the look on taylors face. So my message to kanye, don't get jealous that a 19 country girl has more talent then you will ever have and the only reason your on the radio as much as you are is cus of your accident. People used to feel sorry for yo but with your latest actions I don't think that will be the case anymore you might have to rely on talent and since you have very little of that I don't think you will be famous much longer. There's gotta be a reason why you don't win at these shows and have to always put your acceptance speech back into your pocket every year.

[Kimberly Raper]

Kanye seemed very sincere in his interview with Jay Leno and looked almost like a boy that had been scolded by his parents, with that look of self shame. It seems to me that he forgot he was dealing with a young lady (equally as talented as Beyonce- just a different Genre) and he was being extremely rude. Hopefully all of the backlash will open his eyes to the fact that talent can not overcome basic good manners and being respectful of people. He will always be an extremely cocky person and grate on some people's nerves but I hope this is a wake up call for him. I like his music despite his personality and hope that he can become a better person from this.

[Rick]

James: Why is everyone hating on Kanye? He's just speaking his mind. Can't blame him for that. Let's be honest, Beyonce's video was better then Taylor Swifts.

James, LET"S BE HONEST, Kanye is not the be all and end all of the music industry, even though he thinks he is.

Yes we, the general public can blame him! His opinion and only his opinion is irrelevant. The general public voted. His vote was counted, if he voted. YOUR opinion that Beyonce's was better is YOUR OPINION! She did not garner the votes necessary to be #1.

Kayne has a track record of being EGOTISTICAL to the extreme. His reaction to his mother's death is a prime example. Allowances for public life aside, why is his grief any different than mine? or yours? or any one elses?

Ksynr is rapidly destroying his credibility, his goodwill, his believability. Perhaps a very strong intervention is necessary!

[John Nipe]

A BLOG apology? How low has this society gone? Good taste wasn't shown at the awards ceremony and now worst taste is shown with an impersonal apology. I have read the "official" reports how you appeared contrite on Jay - I saw the show and I didn't see it and am sorry Jay decided to keep you on the show. He could have done audience interviews or something to fill in the time with better effect. - Grow up and apologize like a man

[Zeitgeistee]

Arrogant, egotistical, self-absorbed, self-important, and down right immature. It's a sad comment on our society that Kanye is lauded and a role model. Kanye go home - come back when you've got some class and humility. Can't believe he didn't even apologize directly to Taylor Swift until she went on The View and said so. Shame on you Kanye.

[lori mart]

Taylor Swift, you are a lovely young lady and deserved the award that you received. Congratulations to you and keep up the wonderful work that you do. Mr.West, you are a talentless dirt bag. If you ever did something like that to me I would have shoved the mike down your throat. LOSER.

[Linda]

All the people on here that are cutting Kanye way too much slack and making excuses for his behavior are just as bad. You must be real young with no common sense. If you were a mom and you had young daughters that loved Taylor Swift music and you were all watching this seen on Tv, you are actually telling me that you would tell your young daughters that it was ok what he did because you didn't like Taylor Swift anyway you didn't think she had talent. I love Beyonce But I still think what he did was right. Fact is I don't think Beyonce was very proud of that. She can win awards on her own she don't need Kanye fighting her battles.

[Kountry Gurl]

He apologized. If Taylor Swift accepts, that's all that matters. He said that he is taking time off to re-group & evaluate how he is going to progress & grow in life without his mother in this world. The funny thing is people call him a racist, etc yet I do not recall seeing such an uproar when a white member of Congress who belongs to a New Confederate Organization blatantly disrespected the President of the United States before the people of America. I think all music artists are overrated & get too much press---that's why the become arrogant a-holes, have nervous breakdowns, & get away with crime. Get angry about issues that matter--get over this!

[Ginny]

To all you people out there that say, "Why blame him, he's just speaking his mind." You are just as ignorant as he is. Since when is it okay to insult and publicly embarass another person for your own personal gratification? That's exactly what he did. I feel sorry for those of you that support his actions.

[Kr]

That is the most immature and insincere apology I've ever seen.

[miceal]

lol, of course he doesnt feel sorry. any celebrity who does soemthing that upsets people will apologise for it, to look as if they regret it. he said what he felt and i agree her song and vid was nothing compared to beyonce. swift won cus of her age

[xavier boy]

sthu!@!@!@1 west is awesome, so what he mest up by showing disrespect and taking freedom of speech too far but wth!?? his music is awesome and taylor really isnt so great i think kanye was right on beyonce being better,much better. But hey im just a guy who stumbled on this blog

[Nicholas]

ya'll need to chill he was drunk and he aplogize so quit it ya'll need 2 stop Besides if he was a racist, he'd disrespect her way worse and diss her in songs

[MixtMarshall]

Nicholas, another idiot. He apologized, so that's that, huh? Won't bring back Swift's shining moment, will it? He just had to sh*t on it because he is that immature and selfish. Uncivilized is more like it. Sure, he may have the "talent" (if that's what you want to call it) to put together some music, but he is far from an intelligent man. You see, intelligence is more than just the good fortune of fame. Very important components to intelligence are civility and empathy.

And you can't say that he's not racist just because he didn't do "way worse things" to Swift. What a stupid thing to say. Because he didn't beat her up on stage... is that what you mean, Nicholas? Because he doesn't "rap" about her in his music? I think his attention span is too short to just focus on her in a rap song. Record sales and the illegalities of these things prevent them, Nicholas. Do you need someone to tie your shoes for you and spoon-feed you, too?

I don't think people are ready to "just chill" Nicholas. Not until people like you and Kanye just go away.

[Trish]

Didn't Kayne get that it was an award based on a PUBLIC vote. So we decided what we wanted. How can you say someone deserves an award over another when the public decides?