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International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Entertainment
Thea Felicity

Finn Wolfhard Under Fire for Reenacting Kanye West Interrupting Taylor Swift in 2009 VMAs in Performance

Stranger Things Star Finn Wolfhard (Credit: youtube: Saturday Night Live)

Taylor Swift fans are not taking kindly to Finn Wolfhard's new song after he reenacted Kanye West's infamous interruption of Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards during a recent stage performance.

The moment in question appears to reference West's on-stage interruption of Swift's acceptance speech, a pop culture flashpoint that sparked the long-running West–Swift feud. In the circulating clip description, Wolfhard is said to have sung, 'Yo, Taylor, I'm really happy for you, I'mma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time. One of the best videos of all time.'

No official recording or full set footage has been released at the time of writing, and representatives for Wolfhard have not issued a public comment addressing the reaction.

Swifties Blast Finn Wolfhard for Supporting a 'Nazi

Swift's fans, enraged, expressed frustration at the apparent decision to bring the moment back into a live performance setting. Some criticised the move as unnecessary, with one user writing, 'Horrible music and horrible acting pick a struggle.'

Others framed it as an attempt to generate attention through Swift's name, with another comment stating, 'When the Stranger Things money runs out... when the music is not selling so you have to mention Taylor Swift.'

A more hostile response also circulated, including posts questioning the decision to reference Kanye West in any form. One user wrote, 'He is disgusting and weird asf for that. No Taylor no clout.'

Another comment referred to West in strongly negative terms, saying Wolfhard is supporting a 'Nazi.' West has been referred to in that way over a series of antisemitic remarks.

These include statements in which he has said he admires Adolf Hitler, posts in which he has referred to himself as a Nazi, and the release of a 2025 song titled 'Heil Hitler,' which references Nazi imagery and language. He has also promoted or associated himself with symbols linked to Nazi ideology, including swastikas, leading to major backlash, bans and business losses.

Recently, governments and organisers in countries such as the UK have restricted or cancelled his appearances due to the controversy.

Kanye West's Interruption of Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMAs

Kanye West's interruption of Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards remains one of the most defining and replayed moments in modern pop culture.

During the ceremony, Swift had just begun her acceptance speech for Best Female Video when West walked on stage, took the microphone and declared that Beyoncé should have won instead, famously saying he would 'let you finish' but that Beyoncé had 'one of the best videos of all time.'

The moment stunned the audience and cut Swift's speech short. Beyoncé later invited Swift back on stage during her own award win that night to give her the moment she had been denied.

In the aftermath, West apologised publicly, later retracting and apologising again in different interviews over the years. Swift described the experience as humiliating and said it marked a turning point in her view of public attention and industry power dynamics.

The incident did not end there. It became the starting point of a long-running public feud between Swift and West. Years later, West's song 'Famous' resurfaced the drama when it included controversial lyrics referencing Swift, which she said were not fully cleared with her.

West and his then-wife, Kim Kardashian, released edited clips of a phone call in 2016 that appeared to show Swift approving the lyric, leading to what the internet called the 'snake' controversy. Swift pushed back, saying the recording did not tell the full story and that she was misrepresented, while Kardashian defended West at the time.

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