Kanye West has reignited his long-standing feud with Taylor Swift, this time blaming her for his inability to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show. In a since-deleted social media post, the rapper listed three key moments he believes led to his exclusion from the prestigious event, including his infamous clash with Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards .
The Three Moments West Blames
West claimed he was never invited to headline the Super Bowl due to three defining incidents: his 2005 remark that “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people” during a Hurricane Katrina telethon, his public support for Donald Trump by wearing a MAGA hat, and what he called the “Taylor Swift movement moment” .
The “Taylor Swift moment” refers to West interrupting Swift’s 2009 VMA acceptance speech to declare Beyoncé more deserving of the award. The incident sparked a feud that has persisted for over a decade .
The Ongoing Feud
West and Swift’s conflict deepened in 2016 when he referenced her in his song Famous, rapping, “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that bitch famous.” Swift denied approving the derogatory lyrics, leading to a public dispute .
In a 2023 interview with TIME, Swift revealed the psychological toll of their feud, saying, “That took me down psychologically to a place I’ve never been before. I moved to a foreign country. I didn’t leave a rental house for a year. I was afraid to get on phone calls” .
Recent Escalations
Earlier this year, West criticized Swift for dancing to Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us at the 2025 Grammy Awards, accusing her of endorsing a song that could “take a Black man down” .
His latest social media rant, which included explicit and defamatory claims about Swift, reportedly prompted her legal team to issue a cease-and-desist order .
NFL’s Halftime Show Choices
While West has never headlined the Super Bowl halftime show, he performed with Rihanna during a pre-game event in 2015 . Meanwhile, Swift attended Super Bowl 2025 to support her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, while Kendrick Lamar took the halftime stage .
West’s recent antisemitic remarks and controversial merchandise have further alienated him from major brands and talent agencies, making an NFL invitation unlikely .
