NEWSAmber Rose Confesses to Hyping Up Ex Kanye West With 'Shots of Henny' Before Infamous 2009 VMAs Taylor Swift Incident
Amber Rose shared rare details of what went down hours before Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMAs.
May 6 2026, Updated 3:41 p.m. ET
Amber Rose admitted she may have fueled ex-boyfriend Kanye West to infamously crash Taylor Swift's 2009 VMAs acceptance speech.
"We get in the car, we about to go to the VMAs, and I'm like, 'Babe, you got that bottle of Hennessy upstairs, like you a superstar, you need to get the Henny, we need to be on the red carpet taking shots of Henny ... You know, you like the biggest thing in the whole world,'" Rose, 42, recalled telling her ex during a Tuesday, May 5, appearance on the "Ball in the Family Podcast With Lonzo & Gelo Ball."
Amber Rose 'Hyped Up' Kanye West Before 2009 VMAs
Amber Rose said she encouraged her ex-boyfriend Kanye West to drink Hennessy before the 2009 VMAs.
Rose and West, 48, dated from 2008 to 2010. The model said it was her personality as a girlfriend to "hype up" her partner, but admitted her actions "kinda backfired."
During the awards show — now widely regarded as one of the most viral live TV moments ever – the "Heartless" rapper stormed the stage during Swift's acceptance speech for Best Female Video, which beat out Beyoncé's hit "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)."
"Yo, Taylor, I'm really happy for you, I'ma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time!" West yelled on stage as Swift, now 36, stood in confusion.
Amber Rose shared rare details about the moments leading up to Kanye West's infamous 2009 VMAs moment.
Amber Rose Agreed Kanye West Was 'Right'
Amber Rose admitted was confused when Kanye West stormed the stage at the 2009 VMAs.
"All of a sudden, I'm just sitting there, and he's on stage, and I'm like, 'Oh s---, I was not expecting that,'" Rose spilled of the shocking moment.
However, she couldn't put the blame entirely on the alcohol, as she said that was "naturally Kanye's personality."
"Do I agree with how he did it? No. But was he right? Yes," she explained. "That's how I feel."
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Amber Rose Reveals Current Status With Taylor Swift
Amber Rose said Taylor Swift 'understood' that she wasn't involved in Kanye West's antics.
The influencer revealed she's in a good place with the "You Belong With Me" singer following the incident.
"She understood that it wasn't me that did it. We all got older and learned from our mistakes," she said. "It was just a time in history that happened. I mean, she's engaged now, Kanye has kids, I have kids. At that time ... we were just young, winging it."
Amber Rose's Son Is a Big Swiftie
Amber Rose revealed Taylor Swift gifted her son tickets to her concert.
Their relationship remains in good standing, as Rose revealed that Swift has spoiled her son Sebastian Taylor Thomas, whom she shares with ex Wiz Khalifa, with special gifts in the past.
"She was very nice to my son," Rose said of the singer. "She sent us a big box of all her merch and got us tickets to the concert."
