Though Kanye West’s interruption during Taylor Swift’s Best Female Video acceptance speech effectively upstaged host Russell Brand and his edgy brand of humor, the British comedian was not willing to join the celebrity community in crucifying West.
“We’re all people; these things are a bit silly. Calm down, no one died, it’s all right,” said Brand in an interview with Ryan Seacrest. “Because in the past, I’ve made mistakes and done things a little bit daft, if I think someone has done things that I don’t agree with, I think, well, I’ve done things in the past that I’m not proud of.”
Brand, who added that West is a “nice bloke,” nonetheless acknowledged that the young Taylor Swift was an unfair victim in West’s complaint.
“Taylor Swift’s a young kid, isn’t she? Yeah, you can’t make a pretty girl cry,” said Brand.
Kanye West made instant headlines when he, in the midst of Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech for “You Belong With Me,” jumped on stage, grabbed the microphone and put over Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” as the more deserving video. Though he did not directly attack Swift–he in fact said he was happy for her–he made it clear that he disagreed with the voters’ decision.