Taylor Swift Thanks “Gracious” Beyonce for Inviting Her Onstage After Kanye Stunt at VMAs
Since Kanye West got to do most of the talking during Taylor Swift’s aborted acceptance speech for Best Female Video, the country darling popped into the press room at the end of the night to talk about her eventful evening at MTV’s Video Music Awards.
Her first reaction to seeing West join her onstage at Radio City Music Hall? “I was really excited, because I had just won the award. And then I was really excited because Kanye West was onstage,” she said. “And then I wasn’t so excited anymore after that.”
Though she admits she was a fan of West’s music in the past, Swift said she had never met the MC before, “and I don’t want to start anything because I had a great night tonight.” Rolling Stone has learned that backstage, when Swift’s mother approached West, the MC gave a half-hearted apology in which he added he still thought Beyoncé’s video was superior.
Look back at all the 2009 VMAs’ most memorable moments.
Though she held her tongue rather than slam West, Swift wasn’t short with her praise for Beyoncé, who invited Swift onstage to deliver her acceptance speech while thanking the crowd for her own Moonman, for Video of the Year. (Check out all the VMAs winners.) “They told me to stand by the side of the stage and I didn’t really know what was going to go down, but I thought it was so wonderful and gracious of her to do what she’s always done,” Swift said. “She’s always been a great person before anything else. Before the talented artist, the superstar, she’s always been a great person and I just, I thought I couldn’t love Beyoncé more tonight, then tonight happened and it was just wonderful.”
A source close to Swift tells RS Beyoncé’s father/manager Matthew Knowles came backstage to see Taylor and helped arrange her belated acceptance speech. “It’s definitely been an interesting night,” Swift said with a laugh. Backstage after the curtain dropped, the buzz words were “graciousness” and “class” as countless celebrity guests heaped praise on Beyoncé. “By the end of the night, it was obvious that Taylor was a true winner and a talent, and what Beyoncé did was a real testament to how great Beyoncé is as a person,” Lady Gaga gushed. Asked whether it took away from the show or overshadowed it, Russell Brand had this to say: “It’s like an event that occurred, it just makes it more of an exciting evening.”
As for her own performance, which was filmed in a New York City subway station and actual subway car, Swift said it was “one of my favorite parts of the night.” She added it was extra special thanks to “the fact that is was so fan oriented and the fact that the fans were everywhere, which was wonderful. I love New York. I’m so excited to be here.”
Check out photos from Taylor Swift’s recent gig at Madison Square Garden.
More Taylor Swift:
• Taylor Swift’s Family Photo Album
• Taylor Swift In Her Own Words: The World’s New Pop Superstar on Boys and Breaking Into the Bigtime
• Taylor Swift’s Rise to Stardom: Photos
More VMAs:
• Kanye West Storms the VMAs Stage During Taylor Swift’s Speech
• Photos: 2009 VMAs Red Carpet
• Madonna Surprises VMAs With Michael Jackson Tribute
