It all started in 2009, when both Taylor Swift and Kanye West were attending the VMA. Swift won the Best Female Video award and West interrupted her during her acceptance speech to say that Beyoncé should have won instead.
Two days later an apologetic Kanye West appears on The Jay Leno Show, saying: “It was rude, period. I don’t try to justify it, ’cause I was in the wrong.”
The two seem to have finally put their differences aside at the 2015 VMA where Taylor presented Kanye with the Video Vanguard Award and they shared a hug on stage.
Kanye West at Yeezy Season 3, in February
At the 58th Annual Grammy Awards, Taylor Swift wins Album of the Year for the second time. Many believed she indirectly referenced West during her acceptance speech: “As the first woman to win Album of the Year at the Grammys twice, I want to say to all the young women out there – there are going to be people along the way who are going to try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame.
“But if you just focus on the work and you don’t let those people sidetrack you, someday when you get where you’re going, you’ll look around and you will know that it was you and the people who love you who put you there. And that will be the greatest feeling in the world.”
In June, Kanye West releases the video of “Famous”, in which West is shown lying naked on a bed surrounded by unclothed, wax reproductions of famous people, ranging from Donald Trump to Rihanna and of course Taylor Swift.
Ruby Rose and Lena Dunham were among celebrity friends who publicly voiced their disappointment. Dunham took to Facebook to express her feelings, writing: “It gives me such a sickening sense of disease,” and regarding Swift “I don’t have a hip cool reaction, because seeing a woman I love like Taylor Swift (f*** that one hurt to look at, I couldn’t look) […] reduced to a pair of waxy breasts […] makes me feel sad and unsafe and worried for the teenage girls who watch this and may not understand that grainy roving camera as the stuff of snuff films.”
On Sunday night, Kim posted on Snapchat a video of Kanye West calling Taylor Swift for her approval on his song ‘Famous’.
West read the “Famous” lyrics: “[…] I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex,” to which Swift replies: “I mean it’s like a compliment, kind of.”
“I mean go with whatever line you think is better. It’s obviously very tongue in cheek either way. And I really appreciate you telling me about it, that’s really nice. […] And you know, if people ask me about it I think it would be great for me to be like, ‘Look, he called me and told me the line before it came out. Jokes on you guys, We’re fine.’ […] It’s doesn’t matter to me. There’s not like one [line] that hurts my feelings and one that doesn’t.”
Selena Gomez, famously part of Swift’s girl #squad, reacted on Twitter: “There are more important things to talk about… Why can’t people use their voice for something that f**king matters?”, adding that “This industry is so disappointing yet the most influential.”
Chloe Moretz (who had her own feud with Kim over naked selfies) also took it to Twitter to express similar views: “Stop wasting your voice on something so petulant and unimportant,” she said, adding that “Everyone in this industry needs to get their heads out of a hole and look around to realize what’s ACTUALLY happening in the REAL world.”