Amber Rose Explains What Led Up to Kanye West’s Taylor Swift Snub in at the VMAs in 2009

It seems like it was just yesterday when we were all glued to our TVs, trying to make sense of what Kanye West was doing onstage randomly during the 2009 Video Music Awards (VMAs). And now, we finally have a bit more insight into what caused that now-viral moment to take place.

If you’ll remember (how could you really forget?), West—who now goes by Ye—famously interrupted Taylor Swift‘s acceptance speech after she won Best Female Video. And why did he do that, you ask? Well, it was because he honestly felt that Beyoncé video for “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” should’ve gotten picked instead.

“Yo Taylor, I’m really happy for you. I’mma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos of all time!” he yelled before giving his famous “Kanye shrug” and walking off.

In the audience sat a stunned Bey and a booing crowd while a confused and irritated Swift stood by onstage.

Now, nearly 20 years later, we’ve finally learned what led up to that cringey, yet pop culture mammoth of a moment—and unfortunately, it may all be tied to West’s then-girlfriend Amber Rose. Sitting down for a new interview on the “Ball in the Family” podcast recently, she explained the role she played in making that unforgettable incident happen and what she and the “Donda” rapper were up to moments prior.

According to Rose, just before they made their way to the show, the two of them had been indulging in Hennessey shots at their hotel. However, Rose didn’t want to fun to end there and she subsequently convinced Ye to bring the bottle with them.

“I did not know that was gonna happen. It’s partially my fault. 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, just taking shots of Henny on the carpet,” Rose explained. “I’m hyping him up. He like, ‘Yeah, yeah, let me go get the Henny.’”

And as evidenced by multiple photos from that night, it’s clear that Ye listened as he could seen carrying around the bottle and even sharing it with other celebs like Fall Out Boy member Pete Wentz and Joe Jackson (yes, the Jackson family patriarch). So, it’s safe to say that by the time the show got underway, he and Rose were feeling pretty good.

However, the “Good Life” rapper may have been feeling a bit too good as his unexpected and shocking bolt to the stage during Swift’s moment took everyone by surprise—Rose included.

“It kind of backfired,” Rose said of the moment in hindsight. However, while she may not have approved of how he did it, she’s not all that mad at why.

She continued: “I’m just sitting there and then he’s on stage and I’m like, ‘Oh sh*t.’ I was not expecting that. Do I agree with how he did it? No. But was he right? Yes.”