HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Jay-Z is coming to the defense of Kanye West, who has been ridiculed ever since he interrupted Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for best female video at Sunday's VMAs.
"Of course it was rude because it was her moment, but that's the way he really felt," the 39-year-old "Run This Town" singer told BBC Radio 1 of the incident, in which West proclaimed that Jay-Z's wife, Beyoncé Knowles, should have won the category.
"I think it was rude, but the way they're treating him ... He's on the cover of every paper," continued Jay-Z. "He didn't kill anybody. No one got harmed."
Jay-Z said West is "like a little brother to him" and he understands why he acted out.
"He's just a super-passionate person," explained Jay-Z.
During her appearance on Tuesday's "The View," Swift said she was shell-shocked when West appeared out of nowhere.
Recalled Swift: "My overall thought process went something like, 'Wow, I can't believe I won. This is awesome. Don't trip and fall. I'm going to get to thank the fans, this is so cool ... Oh, Kanye West is here! Cool haircut! What are you doing there? And then, ouch. And then, I guess I'm not going to thank the fans.' "
"I'm not going to say that I wasn't rattled by it," added Swift, "but I had to perform live five minutes later so I had get myself back to the place where I could perform."
West called Swift moments after her "View" appearance to personally apologize to her.
"Kanye did call me, and he was very sincere in his apology, and I accepted that apology," she told ABC News Radio.
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