Kanye West attributes Super Bowl halftime exclusion to past controversies
Annapurna Rai | Apr 10, 2025, 20:29 IST
( Image credit : Agencies )
Kanye West, in a now-deleted post, attributed his Super Bowl halftime show exclusion to past controversies, including the Taylor Swift VMA incident and his support for Donald Trump. The 2009 VMAs sparked a long feud with Swift, escalating with his song "Famous.
In a recently deleted social media post, rapper Kanye West asserted that his exclusion from headlining the Super Bowl halftime show stems from a series of past controversies, notably his 2009 incident involving Taylor Swift.
West identified three pivotal events he believes contributed to his omission: his 2005 criticism of President George W. Bush during a Hurricane Katrina telethon, his interruption of Swift's acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, and his public support for Donald Trump, symbolized by wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat.
The 2009 VMA incident marked the beginning of a prolonged and public feud between West and Swift. The situation escalated in 2016 when West released the song "Famous," which contained contentious lyrics about Swift. While West claimed Swift had approved the lyrics, her representatives refuted this, leading to further public disputes.
Despite these controversies, West has never headlined a Super Bowl halftime show. He did, however, perform alongside Rihanna during a pre-Super Bowl concert in 2015. More recently, West faced backlash for airing a Yeezy advertisement during Super Bowl LIX, which was criticized for its provocative content.
In contrast, Taylor Swift has continued to achieve professional success and has chosen not to publicly respond to West's latest remarks. She has previously spoken about the emotional challenges she faced due to past public humiliations but remains focused on her career and personal growth.
West's recent comments have reignited discussions about his past actions and their impact on his career opportunities, including potential performances at high-profile events like the Super Bowl.
West identified three pivotal events he believes contributed to his omission: his 2005 criticism of President George W. Bush during a Hurricane Katrina telethon, his interruption of Swift's acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, and his public support for Donald Trump, symbolized by wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat.
The 2009 VMA incident marked the beginning of a prolonged and public feud between West and Swift. The situation escalated in 2016 when West released the song "Famous," which contained contentious lyrics about Swift. While West claimed Swift had approved the lyrics, her representatives refuted this, leading to further public disputes.
Despite these controversies, West has never headlined a Super Bowl halftime show. He did, however, perform alongside Rihanna during a pre-Super Bowl concert in 2015. More recently, West faced backlash for airing a Yeezy advertisement during Super Bowl LIX, which was criticized for its provocative content.
In contrast, Taylor Swift has continued to achieve professional success and has chosen not to publicly respond to West's latest remarks. She has previously spoken about the emotional challenges she faced due to past public humiliations but remains focused on her career and personal growth.
West's recent comments have reignited discussions about his past actions and their impact on his career opportunities, including potential performances at high-profile events like the Super Bowl.