VIDEO Kanye West apology on The Jay Leno Show for Taylor Swift VMA incident

Here is the video of Kanye West’s appearance and apology on The Jay Leno Show Monday night. The text of the full interview is transcribed below.

Jay Leno thanked Kanye for honoring his commitment to be on the show and then tried to lighten the mood a little by saying to him, “Tell us about your day. Have you had a tough day today?”

Kanye: Yeah, it’s been extremely difficult just dealing with the fact that I hurt someone or took anything away from a talented artist or from anyone because I only wanted to help people. My entire life I’ve only wanted to give and do something that I felt was right and I immediately knew in this situation that it was wrong and it wasn’t a spectacle or … it’s actually someone’s emotions that I stepped on. It was very – It was just – It was rude, period. I’d like to be able to apologize to her in person.

Leno: So when did you know you were wrong? Was it afterwards? As you were doing it? When did it strike you – ‘Uh oh.’

Kanye: As soon as I gave the mic back to her and then she didn’t keep going.”

(Jay and the studio audience chuckle)

Leno: Let me add something. I was fortunate enough to meet your mom, and talk with your mom a number of years ago. What do you think she would have said about this?

(Kanye gets emotional and pauses)

Leno: Would she be disappointed in this? Would she give you a lecture?

Kanye: Yeah. Obviously I deal with hurt and so many celebrities they never take the time off and I’ve never taken the time off to really – you know just music after music and tour after tour and tour – and I’m just ashamed that my hurt caused someone else’s hurt. My dream of what award shows were supposed to be caused – I don’t try to justify it because I was just in the ??? period, but I need to, after this, just take some time off and just analyze how I’m going to make it through the rest of this life, how I’m going to improve because I am a celebrity and that’s something I have to deal with and if there’s anything I could do to help Taylor in the future, or help anyone – I want to live this thing – it’s hard sometimes.

Jay: (patting Kanye on the leg) Hey look – thanks for coming here. Thanks for doing that.

It started off well. Then it sort of trailed off into Kanyesque ego nonsense. The best guess I have as to the meaning of that last paragraph is that Kanye hasn’t taken time off to deal with the passing of his mother Donda West, who died of complications stemming from cosmetic surgery in November of 2007. That fact meant he lost control of himself and shared his “dream of what award shows were supposed to be,” which apparently doesn’t include Taylor Swift winning any awards. Because he’s a celebrity he needs to deal his grief and become a better person, even if that means helping Taylor Swift.
 
If this were Apology 101 I would give Kanye a C-, but only because of how he started. (I’m guessing he was sticking close to a script to begin with and then let his inner Kanye do the talking toward the end.)
 
Did you miss Kanye’s douchebaggery at the MTV Video Music Awards? Watch the video HERE.
 
And if that leaves an unpleasant taste in your mouth, let Beyonce freshen your spirit by watching her give Taylor Swift a second chance HERE.
 
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