Initially scheduled for the premiere of “The Jay Leno Show” to perform “Run This Town” with Jay-Z and Rihanna, Kanye West naturally took time to comment on the Taylor Swift incident during the NBC talk show.
“Yeah, it’s been extremely difficult. I just…just dealing with the fact that I hurt someone or took anything away, you know, from a talented artist or from anyone, because I only wanted to help people,” said West in what was billed as an unplanned interview with host Jay Leno. “My entire life, I’ve only wanted to give and do something that I felt was right. And I immediately knew in the situation that it was wrong, and it wasn’t a spectacle or just — you know, it’s actually someone’s emotions, you know, that I stepped on. And it was very…it was just…it was rude, period. And, you know, I’d like to be able to apologize to her in person.”
West, who noted that he knew he was in the wrong the second he gave the microphone back to Swift, said, “I deal with hurt…I’m just ashamed that my hurt caused someone else’s hurt.”
“I don’t try to justify it because I was just in the wrong. That’s period. But I need to, after this, take some time off and just analyze how I’m going to make it through the rest of this life, how I’m going to improve. Because I am a celebrity, and that’s something I have to deal with. And if there’s anything I could do to help Taylor in the future or help anyone, I’d like — you know, I want to live this thing,” said West.
Kanye West made headlines after he unexpectedly interrupted Taylor Swift during her Best Female Video Acceptance speech at Sunday’s Video Music Awards. Upset that Swift’s “You Belong with Me” beat Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” out for the award, West vented about the decision, leaving Swift–and much of the audience–in shock.
Credit to THRFeed.com on the transcription.