Top 10 Biggest MTV VMAs Scandals

It was a rivalry for the ages! In the early 2000s, Eminem and Moby were at odds when the latter spoke out against the former for using homophobic, racist, and misogynistic lyrics. Eminem fought back with his song "Without Me," where he called the "Go" singer a slur. Their feud came to a head at the 2002 VMAs when he won an award for the song and threatened to hit Moby during his acceptance speech. Earlier in the night, the rapper also attempted to take a swipe at Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. Years later, Eninem spoke about the incident and stated that he should have conducted himself better.

Here comes the bride! The year was 1984, and Madonna was making her VMA debut. Never one to shy away from drama, the pop star staged a bridal themed performance of her hit "Like a Virgin." Dressed in a bridal gown made of a corset, lace and her famous "Boy Toy" belt, the Material Girl rolled around onstage to the song, which was controversial enough at the time. Decades later, she revealed that the whole wiggling around on the floor bit was actually the result of a wardrobe malfunction she was attempting to sort out. It was quick thinking for sure, but it also meant her accidentally exposing her undergarments to the crowd and cameras.

To celebrate the King of Pop's 44th birthday, the VMAs prepared a special surprise. During the ceremony, Britney Spears honored Michael Jackson by presenting a cake and a heartfelt speech in which she called him the "artist of the millennium." Unfortunately, Jackson misunderstood the sentiment and thought he was being given an award. It was an awkward moment as Spears and the audience knew the award didn't actually exist. Of course, not wanting to ruin the moment, everyone in the room kept mum, let Jackson continue his acceptance speech, and left well enough alone.

Britney Spears's song, "I'm a Slave 4 U," was a chart-topping hit in 2001, so for her VMA performance, she pulled out all the stops. The number started off pretty standard: she sang and danced but then halfway through, she shocked everyone when one of her backup dancers passed her a real live yellow python. It was a jaw-dropping moment that left the audience stunned and, to this day, the performance is still immediately recognizable. Years later, Spears referred to the idea as "dumb" and said she would never attempt to perform with a snake again.

Kanye West is known for being at the center of some of the VMAs most controversial moments. In 2015, while accepting the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, the "Gold Digger" musician took to the stage and delivered a lengthy speech in which he spoke about everything from Justin Timberlake to juice. At the end of his nearly ten-minute oration, he made the biggest announcement of his career: he was going to run for president in 2020. Everyone was floored by his proclamation and Ye actually followed through and campaigned for presidency. Although he didn't win, who knows what he has planned for the elections to come.

After Taylor Swift and Harry Styles broke up, both attended the 2013 VMAs. Tensions between the pair must have been high because Swift looked like she was in no mood to hear or see her ex. While Styles was presenting an award with his former One Direction bandmates, the camera panned to Swift. Seated next to her good friend, Selena Gomez, the singer appeared to mouth something that we can't repeat here. There have been different claims about the context of the situation and even what exactly was said but, nonetheless, the moment was captured for the world to see, and has gone on to live in the GIF Hall of Fame.

From a dress made of Kermit the Frog puppets to a jumpsuit made of plastic bubbles, Lady Gaga never fails to defy the laws of fashion. In 2010, she attended the VMAs wearing what might be her most controversial outfit to date: a dress made entirely of meat. Having received 13 nominations that evening, Gaga sported multiple garments, but the Franc Fernandez design was the biggest subject of the night. Accessorized with a hat, boots and purse, also made of meat, the "Bad Romance" singer received significant backlash from animal rights groups. However, Gaga stated that the dress was worn to express many different things, including a protest against the American military's “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” policy.

They were the lip locks seen around the world. Opening the 2003 VMAs, pop royalty Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Madonna took the stage to perform the latter's hits "Like a Virgin" and “Hollywood”. Reminiscent of Madonna's 1984 performance, Spears and Aguilera were dressed in white, like brides, while Madonna was dressed in black, like a groom. The three icons then step to the front of the stage where Madonna kisses both women. The unexpected moment left everyone frozen in shock. Cameras captured the reactions of different celebs, including Snoop Dogg, Paris Hilton and most famously, Spears’s ex, Justin Timberlake.

Prior to the 2015 VMAs, tensions were high thanks to some social media drama over nominations. Nicki Minaj took to Twitter to express how she was overlooked for a Best Video Award in favor of artists with "slim bodies." Taylor Swift, who had been nominated, responded, thinking the tweet was directed at her. It turned out it was all a miscommunication, and things were smoothed out between the two. However, VMAs host Miley Cyrus gave her two cents about the drama in an interview, and that's when things got complicated. When Minaj accepted an award at the ceremony that night, she called Cyrus out. Surprised faces were seen all through the crowd as the latter took it in as much stride as one can.

The Kanye West and Taylor Swift 2009 VMAs incident will go down as the start of this generation's most bizarre celebrity feuds. That night, Swift earned the prize for Best Video, and when she went up to accept it, West rushed on stage. He took hold of the mic, expressing that Beyoncé should have won for her "Single Ladies" video. Awkward doesn't even come close to describing how cringy the moment was. It launched a nearly decade-long back and forth between the pair, full of revoked apologies, damning lyrics, and a social media firestorm.