Kanye West Suggests Taylor Swift Incident Cost Him Super Bowl Halftime Show Spot
American rapper Kanye West has suggested that his past controversies – including his highly publicised clash with Taylor Swift – are among the reasons he has never been invited to headline the Super Bowl halftime show.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) and later deleted, the 47-year-old artist listed three specific incidents he believes have kept him off the NFL’s biggest stage. “I never was allowed to do the Super Bowl because of three moments,” West wrote. “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people. The Taylor Swift moment. And wearing a MAGA hat.”
The “Taylor Swift moment” appears to reference the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, when West infamously interrupted Swift’s acceptance speech to declare that Beyoncé had the more deserving video – a move that sparked years of tension between the two artists and intense media scrutiny.
He also cited his controversial 2005 statement during a live telethon for Hurricane Katrina relief – where he criticised then-President George W. Bush – and his public support of Donald Trump, notably wearing the “Make America Great Again” hat, as other contributing factors to being passed over for the high-profile performance slot.
While the NFL has never officially commented on why West has not been considered for the halftime show, the rapper’s track record of controversy has often made headlines. Meanwhile, Swift – one of the world’s biggest pop stars – has also never performed at the Super Bowl halftime show, though her presence at NFL games last season drew significant media attention due to her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce.
