NEWS'Stranger Things' Star Finn Wolfhard Ripped by Fans for 'Weird' Onstage Reference of Kanye West Interrupting Taylor Swift at 2009 VMAs
Finn Wolfhard sparked controversy among Taylor Swift fans for referencing her infamous 2009 VMAs moment with Kanye West in a song.
April 17 2026, Updated 12:41 p.m. ET
Finn Wolfhard found himself in hot water with Taylor Swift fans after he referenced her onstage during a recent performance.
The Stranger Things actor, 23, sang an unreleased track that mentioned Kanye West's infamous interruption of Swift, 36, at the 2009 VMAs.
Finn Wolfhard Mentioned Kanye West and Taylor Swift's VMAs Moment
Finn Wolfhard is best known for his role on 'Stranger Things.'
"Yo Taylor, I'm really happy for you, imma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time,” the actor sang as he strummed his guitar.
The lyrics quickly went viral and drew a mixed reaction across social media.
Finn Wolfhard mentioned Taylor Swift and Kanye West while onstage.
Finn Wolfhard's Lyrics Sparked Heated Debate
The lyric sparked controversy among Taylor Swift fans.
"Just because he was in Stranger Things doesn't mean he has the right to let us hear whatever this garbage he's singing," said one critic via X. "Always the mf who can't sing to save his life."
A second added, "No wonder I don't like him in Stranger Things, it turns out my gut feeling told me he was bad and weird."
The Netflix star did have his supporters, with some pointing out that his lyrics weren't a jab at the pop star.
"Gurls, are y'all actually dumb??? 🤧 Asking nicely, but he is NOT making fun of her. He’s referencing it and empathizing with Taylor," a follower pointed out. "He’s cryptic and his art isn't meant to be obvious. you people are just dumb as h---. god forbid a man actually enjoys art and pop culture."
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Kanye West and Taylor Swift's Feud Dates Back Decades
Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift while accepting her award for Video of the Year at the 2009 VMAs.
West, 48, and Swift have had a tumultuous relationship over the years, with their feud dating back to when the "Heartless" rapper ambushed her acceptance speech for Video of the Year at the MTV VMAs to praise Beyoncé, 44.
"I was standing on stage, and I was really excited because I'd just won the award and then I was really excited because Kanye West was on stage … And then I wasn't excited anymore after that," the "Love Story" artist told reporters after the interaction.
Kanye West and Taylor Swift's Feud Continues
Taylor Swift called her feud with Kanye West a 'career death.'
Though West apologized, their feud reignited in 2016 when the Chicago native released the song "Famous," in which he rapped, "I feel like me and Taylor might still have s-- / Why? I made that b---- famous."
Amid the backlash, West's then-wife, Kim Kardashian, defended him, claiming Swift "totally approved" the lyric and later leaked footage of a phone call that appeared to show Swift doing so. However, the blonde beauty pointed out that in the audio, there was no mention of the "b----" lyric.
Years later, Swift reflected on the feud and called it a "career death" of sorts.
"Make no mistake — my career was taken away from me," the songwriter told Time in December 2023. “You have a fully manufactured frame job, in an illegally recorded phone call, which Kim Kardashian edited and then put out to say to everyone that I was a liar."
She continued, "That took me down psychologically to a place I’ve never been before. I moved to a foreign country. I didn’t leave a rental house for a year. I was afraid to get on phone calls. I pushed away most people in my life because I didn’t trust anyone anymore. I went down really, really hard.”
