With no Taylor Swift at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards, we hear that Kanye West may be making a surprise appearance at Sunday’s show.
West, 44, has been added on as a secret, last-minute performer to the show taking place at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center to promote his new album, “Donda,” Page Six has exclusively learned.
His appearance in New York comes after estranged wife Kim Kardashian made a stunning arrival at her Manhattan hotel Saturday in a full leather dominatrix outfit with matching zipped-up black leather mask — a stunt that easily could have been masterminded by West himself.
An MTV source said, “With the Kardashians in town for New York Fashion Week and the Met Gala, we hear [Kim and Kourtney] may be making an appearance as well, especially since Kourtney’s beau, Travis Barker, is performing with good friend Machine Gun Kelly.”
In 2009, Kanye created a VMAs moment that will forever live in infamy. As Swift accepted her award for Best Video by a Female Artist, he stormed the stage and told her, “I’mma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time [for “Single Ladies”]. One of the best videos of all time!”
The cringeworthy moment solidified West’s reputation as a music industry provocateur and villain — which he has continued to flaunt in his more recent work.
West’s 10th studio album, “Donda,” dropped on Aug. 29 and in just 10 days surpassed over 1 billion global streams.
He released the record after Kardashian, 40, publicly supported him at a number of album listening events — most notably when she wore a Balenciaga haute couture wedding dress to recreate their 2014 nuptials in an epic stunt at Chicago’s Soldier Field last month.
MTV insiders are now speculating whether Kardashian could join him on stage again — and if that shocking leather outfit may be part of the show.
Other performers at Sunday’s event, which starts at 8 p.m. ET, include Alicia Keys with Swae Lee, Camila Cabello, Doja Cat, Ed Sheeran, Foo Fighters, Justin Bieber, Kacey Musgraves, Lil Nas X, Normani, Olivia Rodrigo, Shawn Mendes and Twenty One Pilots.
Reps for West and MTV didn’t immediately get back to us.