Nicki Minaj and Miley Cyrus MTV VMAs 2015 feud: Was bitch comment during acceptance speech staged?

Nicki Minaj left fans stunned when she used her best hip hop video acceptance speech at the 2015 MTV VMAs to launch a verbal attack against host Miley Cyrus, but now it has emerged that the on-air rant may have been staged. The Anaconda hitmaker did not let her glamorous look stopping her from calling out the former child star for comments she made during a recent interview.

"And now back to this bitch that had a lot to say about me a lot in the press. Miley, what's good?" she told the audience at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles after she thanked her fans and her pastor.

The Young Money star's on-stage rant was referring to Cyrus's recent comments about race issues at the VMAs award in the wake of her spat with Taylor Swift over being snubbed in the Video Of The Year category.

Speaking to the New York Times earlier in August, Cyrus said: "What I read sounded very Nicki Minaj, which, if you know Nicki Minaj is not too kind.

"It's not very polite. I think there's a way you speak to people with openness and love. You don't have to start this pop star against pop star war... I know you can make it seem like, Oh I just don't understand because I'm a white pop star.

The former Disney Star added: "I know the statistics. I know what's going on in the world. But to be honest, I don't think MTV did that on purpose."

Although the 22-year-old singer, who was standing on a different platform on-stage, tried to defend herself, her insistence that she had been "misquoted" by the press appeared to fall on deaf ears. "We're all in this industry. We all do interviews and we all know how they manipulate shit. Nicki, congratulations," Cyrus said. Minaj was clearly annoyed by her response.

Despite the on-air confrontation drawing gasps from millions of fans, some viewers have suggested that their apparent beef may have all been staged to boost ratings with some noting that Minaj flashed a smile before the camera turned to Cyrus.

In July, the Bang Bang singer took issue with the the VMAs' alleged bias towards white artists with slim bodies."If I was a different 'kind' of artist, Anaconda would be nominated for best choreo and vid of the year as well," the former American Idol judge tweeted.

Her comments appeared to touch a nerve with Swift who replied "I've done nothing but love & support you. It's unlike you to pit women against each other. Maybe one of the men took your slot" thinking it was about her. The misunderstanding was eventually cleared up, after Swift waved the apologised and admitted that she had spoken out of turn. "I thought I was being called out. I missed the point, I misunderstood, and then misspoke. I'm sorry, Nicki," she tweeted.