Kanye West’s Beef With Billie Eilish Reminds Fans of His 2009 VMAs Scandal With Taylor Swift
Kanye West recently demanded an apology from Billie Eilish, and fans are comparing it to when the Donda rapper interrupted Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV VMAs. Here’s what happened and what fans are saying about it.
Kanye West demanded an apology from Billie Eilish after she ‘dissed’ Travis Scott
On Feb. 5, Billie Eilish paused her Happier Than Ever tour show in Atlanta, Georgia to help an audience member who couldn’t breathe. “We’re taking care of our people, hold on. I wait for people to be OK before I keep going,” the “Bad Guy” singer said. Eilish has stopped her shows in the past when she noticed safety issues in the crowd.
In November 2021, 10 people died and hundreds were injured at Travis Scott’s Astroworld show in Houston, Texas. The audience was packed so tightly that they couldn’t breathe, and many were trampled.
Eilish and Kanye West are scheduled to headline Coachella this spring. On Feb. 10, the rapper threatened in a since-deleted Instagram post that unless Eilish apologizes to Travis Scott, he won’t perform at the music festival.
The 20-year-old singer did not name Scott or the Astroworld tragedy when she stopped her show, but West seemingly believed the pop star was slamming his fellow rapper. “COME ON BILLIE WE LOVE YOU PLEASE APOLOGIZE TO TRAV AND TO THE FAMILIES OF THE PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES,” read West’s Instagram post caption.
“NO ONE INTENDED THIS TO HAPPEN TRAV DIDN’T HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING WHEN HE WAS ON STAGE AND WAS VERY HURT BY WHAT HAPPENED AND YES TRAV WILL BE WITH ME AT COACHELLA BUT NOW I NEED BILLIE TO APOLOGIZE BEFORE I PERFORM.”
Eilish responded by commenting, “Literally never said a thing about Travis. Was just helping a fan.”
Fans are comparing Kanye West and Billie Eilish’s interaction to the rapper’s feud with another young female pop star – Taylor Swift.
Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift during her acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV VMAs
Fans are pointing out the similarities between Kanye West’s beef with Billie Eilish to his 2009 scandal with Taylor Swift.
At the 2009 MTV VMAs, Swift was nominated for Best Video by a Female Artist for “You Belong With Me.” Beyoncé was nominated in the same category for “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)” and also for the Video of the Year award, which is considered the higher honor.
Swift won the Best Female Video award, and the then-19-year-old began to deliver her acceptance speech. As she started to speak, West crashed the stage and took the microphone out of her hand.
“Yo, Taylor, I’m really happy for you, I’mma let you finish,” he said (via Vox). “But Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos of all time!”
Later in the ceremony, Beyoncé won the Video of the Year award. Instead of giving her own speech, she invited Taylor onstage to finish hers. “I’d like to give Taylor her moment,” Beyoncé said.
Fans are pointing out the similarities between the rapper’s beef with the two female pop stars
Kanye West’s post about Billie Eilish has reminded fans of the rapper interrupting Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMAs, and they are sounding off about it on social media.
One fan commented on Twitter, “Honestly, is Kanye West beefing with Billie Eilish cause Taylor Swift isn’t giving him the time of day anymore? Like I’m asking as a joke, but also not really.”
“Kanye West ‘calling out’ Billie Eilish publicly for something she didn’t even do, reminds me a lot of what he did to Taylor Swift,” one fan tweeted. “Just further proves KANYE is the problem, not the women’s image he’s trying to damage. (Even his own wife and daughter at this point).”
Another fan tweeted, “The way Kanye West tries to control and manipulate women with demands, harassment, changing their physical appearance, or using intimidation is f—ing gross. Billie Eilish should tell him to go f— himself. Fr tho.”
One fan pointed out in a tweet, “Taylor Swift was 20 when Kanye West interrupted her acceptance speech thus kicking off Kanye bullying Taylor Swift for next decade. Billie Eilish is currently 20 & he’s moved on from Taylor to bullying Billie Eilish. What’s Kanye’s issue with 20 year old talented white women?”
And one fan called for Swift to replace West at Coachella by tweeting, “Kanye West is threatening to boycott Coachella unless fellow headliner Billie Eilish apologize for comments she made about concert safety West perceived were targeted at Travis Scott. Let him boycott! He’s bullying a woman again. Taylor Swift should take his place at Coachella.”
