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

In the wake of the 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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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 more than 100 civil suits and federal charges.