Taylor Lautner Says He Regrets Not Stepping up When Kanye West Bullied Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMAs
It's more than well between the exes Taylor Lautner and Taylor Swift. Recently during a podcast episode of The Squeeze with Taylor Lautner and his wife, Taylor Lautner (formerly, Dome), the Twilight star got candid and shared a past regret that still pinches him. The 31-year-old gushed over his ex-girlfriend and her talent.
On the February 1 episode of The Squeeze, Lautner's wife, Dome, asked him if there was a moment in life he would go back to if he could. Lautner recalled the 2009 VMA incident and said he feels he could have taken a stand for the 33-year-old pop star. "Probably the 2009 VMAs when I presented the award to Taylor," he answered thoughtfully. Lautner added, "And I was unaware that the Kanye thing was not a skit."
As noted by Hollywood Life, Kanye West interrupted Swift while she was giving a speech at the 2009 VMAs and tried to overshadow her award for Best Female Video. The rapper jumped onto the stage and said, "I am really happy for you; I am gonna let you finish. But Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos of all time."
The incident sparked a lot of criticism with neither the audience nor Queen Bey appreciating West's "bullying" act. So the unabashed West handed the microphone back to Swift and left the stage.
Kanye West says God told him to interrupt Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMAs.
— Pop Base (@PopBase) September 1, 2020
“If God ain’t want me to run on stage and say Beyoncé had the best video, he wouldn’t have sat me in the front row.” pic.twitter.com/Be1aqVqQxz
Lautner shared his side of the story, "I could barely hear it. I couldn't see them. I was just assuming that this whole thing was a practiced and rehearsed skit because why else would Kanye West be jumping up on the stage, interrupting Taylor Swift? It just didn't make sense." Although it's all in the past, Lautner still feels remorse.
The Tracers actor tied the knot with Dome in November 2022. Lautner briefly dated Swift until December 2009 and they have reportedly remained on good terms since. The duo surprised their fans when Lautner joined the Don't Blame Me singer during her Eras Tour to promote the I Can See You Now music video in which Lautner was featured.
View this post on Instagram
US Weekly reported that on Wednesday, July 19, the actor praised and thanked the Bad Blood singer for including him in her I Can See You music video. He began, "Another cool part of the idea that made me even more super-duper sold was the meaning behind the video."
He added, "Being a fan of hers and being someone that roots for, it is an honor to be a part of something that is a metaphor for her reclaiming her art." The Abduction star's wife clarified that he has been in "Swift's corner both privately and publicly over the years."
View this post on Instagram
Referencing the February episode of The Squeeze, Dome noted, "When we taped our first two episodes, the I Can See You music video hadn't come to fruition yet." She praised her husband and added, "So, you genuinely saying you would go back and like handle the Kanye [West] thing differently, you weren't just saying that because you had done this video."
Lautner praised his ex-girlfriend and directed his gratitude toward her, "I respect you so much, not for the singer you are, the songwriter, the performer, but truly for the human you are. You are gracious, humble. You are kind, and I am honored to know you, so thank you for having me be a part of this."
References:
