Taylor Lautner stunned fans ― and his wife ― this week with his recollection of an infamous pop culture moment involving his ex, Taylor Swift, from nearly 14 years ago.
On the premiere episode of the “The Squeeze” podcast, Tay Dome chatted at length with Lautner, who is her husband and co-host. When Dome asked if there was a moment in his life he’d choose to go back to if he could, Lautner said it would be the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, when Swift’s acceptance speech was interrupted by Kanye West, who now goes by Ye.
The “Twilight” actor, who was dating Swift at the time, recalled to Dome that he was “unaware that the Kanye thing was not a skit” at first.
“I presented the award to her, so I gave her the award,” he said. “I took five steps back and was standing five feet behind her. In the middle of her giving her thank you speech, Kanye jumps up onto the stage.”
Swift had begun to accept the award for best female video for “You Belong to Me” when Ye stormed the stage and proclaimed Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” more worthy of the honor. The incident would set off what many have characterized as a decadeslong feud between Ye and Swift.
Noting he could “barely hear” the rapper’s remarks above the din of the crowd, Lautner explained, “I’m just assuming that this whole thing was a practiced and rehearsed skit, because why else would Kanye West be jumping up on the stage interrupting Taylor Swift? It just didn’t make sense.”
It only took a moment, however, for the reality of the situation to set in.
“The second she turned back around and I saw her face for the first time,” he explained, “I was like, ‘Oh! That wasn’t good.’”
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After hearing her husband’s version of the events, Dome proclaimed, “I’m deceased.”
Lautner and Swift briefly dated in 2009, though the exact timeline of their relationship is unclear. The pair were co-stars in the 2010 romantic comedy “Valentine’s Day.”
In 2016, Lautner confirmed that the song “Back to December,” which had appeared on Swift’s album “Speak Now” six years earlier, was inspired by their romance. He and Dome were married last year in Paso Robles, California.