Kanye West vs Taylor Swift
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July 18, 2026
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Kanye West vs Taylor Swift
Kanye West and Taylor Swift’s public conflict began with West’s interruption of Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards and later resurfaced through songs, public statements and disputed phone-call recordings.
Taylor Swift is an American singer-songwriter known for country and pop music, global touring, music videos and film projects.
Taylor Swift
Background
The conflict began at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. While Taylor Swift accepted Best Female Video for “You Belong With Me,” Kanye West took the microphone and said Beyoncé had made “one of the best videos of all time.” Beyoncé later invited Swift back onstage to finish her speech.
West apologised publicly and later called Swift, who accepted the apology. In 2015, Swift presented West with MTV’s Video Vanguard Award, showing that they had resumed public contact before the dispute reopened the following year.
Public Escalation
In February 2016, West released “Famous,” saying that he and Swift “might still have sex” and claiming that he had made her famous. West said Swift had approved the lyric during a phone call. Her representatives said she had never been told about the final derogatory wording.
During her Grammy acceptance speech, Swift warned young women about people trying to take credit for their success, directly echoing West’s claim that he had made her famous. The “Famous” video later showed a nude wax figure resembling Swift beside West; Swift said she had not consented to the depiction.
Phone-Call Dispute
In July 2016, Kim Kardashian released selected clips from the phone call. The clips showed Swift reacting positively to being mentioned in the song, and many people accused her of dishonesty. Snake emojis flooded her social-media accounts.
Swift said the released clips did not show West telling her he would use the phrase “that bitch.” West and Kardashian argued that the call proved she had been consulted; Swift argued that discussing one lyric was not approval of the final version. The backlash later influenced the imagery and themes of her 2017 album Reputation.
Current Status
A longer recording leaked in 2020. It showed West discussing the sexual reference with Swift but did not show him telling her about the final phrase “I made that bitch famous.” Swift said the recording supported her account; Kardashian maintained that Swift was changing the issue because a conversation had taken place.
Swift described the edited call in 2023 as a “fully manufactured frame job” and said the backlash had deeply affected her life and career. Neither Swift nor West has announced a reconciliation, so the dispute remains publicly unresolved despite the lack of a sustained recent exchange.
September 13, 2009
Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards and said Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” had one of the best videos. The moment started their public conflict.
West Interrupts Swift at the 2009 VMAs
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September 14, 2009
West apologized on The Jay Leno Show, calling the interruption “rude” and saying he had stepped on Swift’s emotions. He said he wanted to apologize to her in person.
West Apologizes on The Jay Leno Show
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September 12, 2010
One year after the interruption, Swift performed “Innocent” at the VMAs, singing “Who you are is not what you did” and “32 and still growing up.” The song was presented as her response to West.
Swift Performs “Innocent” at the VMAs
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August 30, 2015
Swift presented West with MTV’s Video Vanguard Award, called him her friend and joked about the 2009 interruption. The appearance marked their clearest public reconciliation.
Swift Presents West’s Vanguard Award
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February 11, 2016
West released “Famous,” which said he and Swift might have sex and included the line “I made that bitch famous.” West said Swift approved the lyric, while her representative disputed that account.
“Famous” Reignites the Dispute
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February 15, 2016
After winning Album of the Year, Swift warned young women about people taking credit for their success, directly echoing West’s claim in “Famous” that he had made her famous.
Swift Answers West’s “Famous” Claim at the Grammys
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June 16, 2016
Kim Kardashian said in a GQ interview that Swift had approved the “Famous” lyric. Swift’s representatives maintained that she had not heard or approved the final wording.
Kardashian Claims Swift Approved the Lyric
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June 24, 2016
West premiered the “Famous” video, which showed a nude wax likeness of Swift beside him and other public figures. The image extended the dispute beyond the song’s lyrics.
West Releases the “Famous” Video
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July 17, 2016
Kardashian posted edited clips of West’s call with Swift on Snapchat. Swift said she never approved the final “that bitch” lyric and wrote, “I would very much like to be excluded from this narrative.”
Phone Call Clips Escalate the Dispute
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August 27, 2017
Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do” video reclaimed snake imagery used against her after the call clips and repeated “I would very much like to be excluded from this narrative.” It became her clearest musical response.
Swift Releases “Look What You Made Me Do”
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March 20, 2020
A longer recording of the 2016 call leaked, showing West did not read Swift the final “I made that bitch famous” line. Swift said it supported her account; Kardashian disputed that interpretation.
Longer “Famous” Call Recording Leaks
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December 6, 2023
In a 2023 Time interview, Swift said the phone-call dispute and public backlash affected her career and personal life. She maintained that the call had been presented in a misleading way.
Swift Reflects on the 2016 Fallout
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Timeline
💡 Did You Know?
• Six years after the 2009 interruption, Taylor Swift presented Kanye West with MTV's Video Vanguard Award and referenced the incident in her introduction.
• Swift's 2016 Grammy win for 1989 made her the first woman to win Album of the Year twice.
• During that Grammy speech, Swift warned young women that others might try to take credit for their accomplishments or fame.
• The longer version of the 2016 “Famous” phone call that leaked in 2020 did not show West telling Swift about the song's final derogatory wording.
• Swift later incorporated snake imagery into the 2017 “Look What You Made Me Do” video after snake emojis had become part of the backlash against her.
Further watching & listening
Selected interviews, releases and external links connected to this feud.
VIDEOS
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2015 VMAs Vanguard Presentation
Swift presented West with the Video Vanguard Award at the 2015 VMAs, creating a public moment of apparent reconciliation between the two artists.
ARTICLES
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“Famous” Phone Call Transcript
The transcript covers the phone-call clips Kardashian released during the 2016 dispute over West’s “Famous” lyric.
VIDEOS
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Taylor Swift - "Innocent" at the 2010 VMAs
Swift performed at the 2010 VMAs after the previous year’s awards-show interruption. The song became one of the first major music releases tied to the public dispute.
VIDEOS
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West Interrupts Swift at the 2009 VMAs
Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards after she won Best Female Video.
INTERVIEWS
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Taylor Swift’s TIME Interview
Swift discussed the 2016 “Famous” phone-call dispute and its aftermath during her 2023 Person of the Year interview.
VIDEOS
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Taylor Swift - "Look What You Made Me Do"
The video uses snake imagery and scenes about public reputation in response to the snake-emoji backlash Swift faced after Kim Kardashian released clips from the 2016 “Famous” phone call.
ARTICLES
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Full Phone Call Leak Coverage
The 2020 coverage explains how the longer phone-call footage renewed the dispute over what Swift had been told before “Famous” was released.
MUSIC
STREAMING
¥$, Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign – CARNIVAL
West name-dropped Swift in the sexually suggestive lyrics of “CARNIVAL,” his collaboration with Ty Dolla $ign. Swift did not issue a public response to the track.
INTERVIEWS
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Kim Kardashian’s GQ Comments on “Famous”
Kardashian discussed the “Famous” dispute in a GQ interview and claimed Swift had approved the lyric before the song’s release.
Disclosure: Some external media links may be affiliate or partner links. This does not affect the timeline, source selection or editorial framing.