Kanye West interrupting Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMAs
Fifty seconds into a 19-year-old's first VMA acceptance speech in 2009, this Chicago superproducer-turned-rapper climbed onstage, took the microphone from her hands, and informed America someone else deserved it.
The full story
At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift's acceptance speech to declare Beyoncé had 'one of the best videos of all time.' President Obama called him a 'jackass' on a hot mic, and the moment launched pop culture's longest-running feud.
The clues we handed out
— The President of the United States was caught on a hot mic calling him a 'jackass' over it.
— The teenager he interrupted was accepting the award for 'You Belong With Me.'
— The feud got a 2016 sequel involving a recorded phone call and a song called 'Famous.'
— He legally shortened his name to two letters in 2021.
— Initials: K.W.
How this case played
ALLEGEDLY* edition No. 10. Three strikes to name Kanye West, with a free clue
unlocked after every miss.
Where this comes from
Every case on this site is drawn from the public record. These are the records for this one.
*A blind item you can check. Every puzzle is drawn from the public record —
court records, official rulings, and moments that unfolded on live television — and the
records are linked above. Allegedly.
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