Kanye’s MAGA Ex Reveals Her Role in His Taylor Swift Ambush
There was a particular driving force behind the jaw-dropping moment Kanye West hopped on stage to interrupt Taylor Swift in 2009.The rapper’s ex-girlfriend, Amber Rose, a model and media personality who campaigned for Donald Trump in 2024, admitted she played a pivotal role in the moments leading up to West’s wild choice to ascend the stage. Rose told the Ball in the Family podcast that she was “hyping” West up beforehand, “Like, ‘you’re a f---ing superstar. We need to get that [Hennessy]. We need to be on the carpet just taking shots of Henny on the carpet.’” “Do I agree with how he did it? No,” Rose said on the podcast. “But was he right? Yes.” Gary Hershorn/REUTERS She also recalled telling West, “You the biggest thing in the whole world,” and the rapper agreed, taking numerous sips of alcohol up until the unexpected moment Swift got on stage. “It kind of backfired because all of a sudden, I’m just sitting there and then he’s on stage. I’m like, ‘Oh s--t. I was not expecting that.’” Rose said she couldn’t take full credit for the move, since “That’s naturally Kanye’s personality,” but she didn’t think he was wrong. Swift’s “You Belong With Me” music video won Best Female Video over Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).” As Swift accepted the award, West suddenly appeared next to her, took the mic, and said, “Yo Taylor, I’m really happy for you. I’mma let you finish, but Beyoncé has one of the best videos of all time. One of the best videos of all time!” before handing the mic back to her. It was reported at the time that Swift was in tears backstage, though she ultimately performed at the show soon after.“Do I agree with how he did it? No,” Rose said on the podcast. “But was he right? Yes. That’s how I feel.”Rose, also a reality TV star who rose to fame for dating West from 2008 to 2010, is now best known for going all out for MAGA in the last election and for speaking at the Republican National Convention. Despite Rose’s support for the MAGA cause, many of Trump’s fans objected to his embrace of the star, whom they misidentified as a porn star. Rose said that she's met Swift, who was kind to her and her son at the time. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images West’s 2009 outburst led to a years-long feud between him and Swift, in which the pop star seemed to swing back and forth between forgiving him and throwing subtle jabs. In 2016, West rapped in his song “Famous” that “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that b---h famous,” which he said he’d cleared with her beforehand. Swift made a statement that the line was “misogynistic” and swiped at him with a thinly veiled comment at the Grammys. His then-wife, Kim Kardashian, posted a phone call between Swift and West online, which allegedly revealed that Swift had approved of the lyric and told West so before she’d released her statement. Swift repaid Kardashian for the leak eight years later with the 2024 diss track, “thanK you aIMee,” in which she sings that her mom wishes “bronze, spray-tanned” antagonist was dead.”It’s been over a decade of beef, still seemingly unresolved—and according to Rose, it all started with a bottle of Hennessy. Obsessed with pop culture and entertainment? Follow us on Substack and YouTube for even more coverage.
