NEW YORK — Kanye West apologized for yet another outburst at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), this time directed at country-pop sweetheart Taylor Swift. The disruption upstaged not just Swift’s awards speech, but the entire evening, including an emotional tribute to Michael Jackson.
In a rare conciliatory moment, West took to his blog to apologize. In a standard all-caps message, West said: “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!”
West — who has flipped out after losing at the VMAs, the Grammys, the American Music Awards and more — again took umbrage when the awards process didn’t go the way he wanted it to go. This time, it was on behalf of Beyoncé.
Beyoncé, nominated for best female video for “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” was bested by Swift, the best-selling artist of the year outside of Jackson. The 19-year-old was giddy when she won for her clip, “You Belong With Me,” the first award given out Sunday, and said, “I always wondered what it would be like to maybe win one of these someday, but never actually thought it would happen.”
But West ruined her moment when he jumped on stage at Radio City Music Hall.
“Taylor, I’m really happy for you, and I’m gonna let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time,” he said, as a shocked Beyoncé looked on and the crowd began to boo.
A crestfallen Swift didn’t finish her speech, but the audience applauded her anyway. She later performed “You Belong With Me” in a subway station.
Swift later got a speech do-over, courtesy of Beyoncé, who won video of the year for “Single Ladies.” Beyoncé recalled that she won her first VMA at age 17, as a member of Destiny’s Child.
“I remember how excited I was,” she said. “I’d like Taylor to come out and have her moment.”
A smiling but nervous Swift then said, “Can we try this again?” before going on to thank everyone she would have thanked had West not interrupted her.
Later, backstage, Swift said she had never met West and had been a fan. She declined to get into a verbal tussle with West: “I don’t know him and I don’t want to start anything.”
Instead, she praised Beyoncé for giving her the stage.
“I thought that I couldn’t love Beyoncé more and then tonight happened, and it was just wonderful,” Swift said.
The celebrity crowd was unforgiving of West. When Diddy read West’s name later in the show while introducing the nominees for best male video, the crowd booed, and Diddy said in mock surprise, “What happened?” The crowd responded by chanting Swift’s name. (T.I. won the award.) The audience also booed West’s name later in the show.
Said West on his blog: “BEYONCÉ’S VIDEO WAS THE BEST OF THIS DECADE!!!! … EVERYBODY WANNA BOOOOO ME BUT I’M A FAN OF REAL POP CULTURE!!! NO DISRESPECT BUT WE WATCHIN’ THE SHOW AT THE CRIB RIGHT NOW CAUSE … WELL YOU KNOW!!!! I’M STILL HAPPY FOR TAYLOR!!!!”
The incident provided the VMAs with its traditional water-cooler moment, but also completely overshadowed what had been expected to be the show’s main attraction — a poignant, tender tribute to Michael Jackson by Madonna and his sister, Janet.
Madonna gave a moving speech about her relationship with Jackson, which began when she was a youngster idolizing the then-child star, then morphed into a friendship when both were at the apex of their careers and later grew distant. Madonna lamented the negative publicity that dogged Jackson in his later years.
“Sometimes, we have to lose things before we can truly appreciate them,” said Madonna, dressed in black. “Yes, Michael Jackson was a human being, but yes, he was a king. Long live the king.”
The musical tribute began afterward, as Jackson clones dressed in some of the King of Pop’s signature outfits performed his famous video dance moves.
Then, as “Scream,” his duet with Janet, appeared on a large screen, his sister came out to recreate the moves from their only video together as the crowd cheered her on.
Afterward, she looked heavenward, and bowed.
Jackson died June 25 at age 50. He was not only an integral part of MTV’s history, but he also provided the VMAs with some of its most memorable moments, including his infamous smooch with then-wife Lisa Marie Presley, in 1994.
The night had its surreal moments, too. Lady Gaga — who arrived at the show wearing a gold mask right out of “Phantom of the Opera” and with Kermit the Frog as her date — gave a typically eccentric performance of her song “Paparazzi.” It included a bedazzled wheelchair, Lady Gaga dancing with a crutch, and ended with her hanging as fake blood drenched her torso.
Later, when she won the award for best new artist, she accepted it swathed in red lace from head to toe. She ripped the lace from her face during her profanity-laden speech, which she ended by saying, “Thank you for God and for the gays.”
The night’s best performance may have come courtesy of Pink, who delivered a high-flying version of her song “Sober” with an acrobatic trapeze act that had her dangling from the rafters.
And the night didn’t just focus on music: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, the stars of “Twilight,” presented an extended trailer from the movie’s sequel, “New Moon.”
A Jackson moment ended the night, however. The full trailer for “This Is It,” the documentary about Jackson’s preparations for his comeback concerts that were to be held in London, was shown. The film is to be released in October.
AP Entertainment Writer Jake Coyle contributed to this report.
(Associated Press)
