Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 23: Kanye West attends the Marni fashion show during the Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2024-2025 on February 23, 2024 in Milan, Italy.
Photo by Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images

Did Kanye West save Taylor Swift from Beyonce at the 2009 VMAs? The bizarre ‘Diddy’ conspiracy theory, explained

Even if he did, Ye's still a creep.

In the wake of the Diddy “Freak Off” scandal and indictment, a bizarre and improbable conspiracy theory has emerged involving Kanye West, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and one of the most pivotal moments in recent entertainment history: When West, now “Ye,” interrupted Swift’s “Best Female Video” acceptance speech at the 2009 VMAs.

Recommended Videos

Ye’s impact on popular culture when he jumped on stage and took the mic from Swift cannot be underestimated. Ye said he did it because Beyoncé deserved the award, not Swift, a relative newcomer. In the aftermath, Ye was cast as a villain (a role he’s more than embraced since then), and Swift cemented her role as the eternal underdog. But could there be more to the story?

The Beyoncé-Diddy connection

via Pop Base/X

As you’re likely well aware, Beyoncé is married to Jay-Z. According to Suge Knight, Jay-Z and, by association, Beyoncé were well aware of and possibly involved in Diddy’s crimes, including sex trafficking, kidnapping, narcotics violations, and more centered around Diddy’s massive sex parties he called “Freak Offs.” There’s so far no evidence beyond guilt by association that any of that is true. Beyoncé and Jay-Z have not been charged with any crimes, and the couple has not commented publically on the Diddy allegations.

Bey and Jay are also not the only two celebrities caught up in the “Freak Off” controversy after Diddy’s indictment, but that said, some fans are convinced Beyoncé knew more than she let on and have flooded her comment section demanding answers, with comments like, “You’re going to fall Beyoncé,” and, “She knowwsss, we know what you do😂.”

The 2009 VMAs

via Instagram

Which brings us back to the 2009 VMAs. Beyoncé and Jay-Z were in the audience when Ye stormed the stage that night, and sat looking shocked while Ye gave his now notorious and seemingly impromptu speech about how Bey deserved the award and not Swift. Ye seemed like a bully picking on a young girl. Some online conspiracy theorists, however, now allege that Ye intentionally created a rift between Swift and Beyoncé to save the singer.

via Bobsarraf/TIkTok

Ye’s possible motivation for doing so varies, according to conspiracy theorists. Some allege, with no evidence, that Beyoncé was also involved in a string of mysterious deaths involving Diddy, so Swift, for whatever reason, may have been targeted. Or instead, as a young artist, Jay-Z could have been grooming Swift for Diddy’s “Freak Offs,” sometimes called “White Parties.”

What Ye knew

via Rap Game Edward Berynays/X

Again, beyond online speculation, there’s no evidence that any of this is true, and if Bey or Jay did put a hit out on Swift, Swift and Beyoncé’s friendship recovered, as can be seen below when Beyoncé attended Swift’s The Eras Tour movie premiere.

via Taylor Swift/Instagram

However, there is some evidence that Ye knew and even tried to speak out about Diddy’s crimes. (If he did, that’s commendable, but by no means is that enough to restore Ye’s public image.) For example, in 2016, Ye released the “Famous” music video with a Swift look-alike in a bed with white sheets that some now think seems like a coded message about Diddy’s “freak offs.”

Moreover, in 2022, Ye called Diddy “a fed” on the Drink Champs podcast and alleged Diddy made an informant deal with the authorities to avoid jail time. The Drink Champs episode was later scrubbed because Ye said anti-semitic stuff in the interview. According to The Root, Ye shared a text exchange with Diddy in a since-deleted Instagram post, which showed Diddy trying to get Ye’s address. Also notable, in 2017, Adele broke her Grammy in half and gave half of it to Beyoncé, which at the time seemed like a gracious statement, but now, in the opinion of some, it appears like Adele knew that Bey posed a threat.

Again, this is all just idle online conspiracy speculation and Ye interrupting Swift in 2009 is likely what it seemed, as this Reddit comment pointed out: “i don’t think he rlly knew what he was doing and that his intention was to actually humiliate taylor.” As for Diddy, he’s still in custody in New York, facing more than 100 civil suits and federal charges.


We Got This Covered is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of William Kennedy
William Kennedy
William Kennedy is a full-time freelance content writer and journalist in Eugene, OR. William covered true crime, among other topics for Grunge.com. He also writes about live music for the Eugene Weekly, where his beat also includes arts and culture, food, and current events. He lives with his wife, daughter, and two cats who all politely accommodate his obsession with Doctor Who and The New Yorker.