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How and Why Kim Kardashian, Kanye West Plotted the Taylor Swift Tape Reveal

Enough! Both Kim Kardashian and Kanye West mulled over the decision to share Taylor Swift’s phone call conversation about “Famous,” but it was ultimately Kardashian who was the mastermind behind it all, multiple insiders exclusively tell Us Weekly.

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As previously reported, the reality superstar, 35, released the grainy clip of Swift, 26, and West, 39, via Snapchat on Sunday. A source reveals that Kardashian came to the decision over the weekend, even though the pair had been sitting on the footage for months.

“Kim was just waiting and didn’t want to post the video initially. She’s not a conflict person,” the source says. “But Kim feels like it gets to a point where you actually have to start saying something.”

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It turns out, West actually was conflicted about pulling the plug. The rapper didn’t want to bring more unnecessary attention and stress to his wife of two years and her famous family.

As previously reported, West called Swift up to discuss a lyric he wanted to write about her for his single, which is off his seventh studio album, The Life of Pablo. (A source tells Us the chat lasted more than 30 minutes.) In the video, Swift signs off on West’s “Taylor might still have sex” line. However, she said in an Instagram post on Monday that calling her “that bitch” was never mentioned.

Kanye West, Kim Kardashian-West and Taylor Swift.
Kanye West, Kim Kardashian West and Taylor Swift

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“When Taylor initially freaked when the song debuted at the Yeezy show, Kanye tried calling Taylor again and reaching out to her,” a second insider tells Us. “She was unresponsive to his outreach.”

After the fallout, Swift called out West for his “misogynistic” song while accepting the 2016 Grammy Award for Album of the Year for 1989 on February 15.

“I want to say to all the young women out there — there are going to be people along the way who are going to try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame,” Swift said at the time. “But if you just focus on the work and you don’t let those people sidetrack you, someday when you get where you’re going, you’ll look around and you will know that it was you and the people who love you who put you there. And that will be greatest feeling in the world.”

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That, sources say, is what really “pushed Kim and Kanye over the edge” — and ultimately sealed Swift’s fate. “They wouldn’t have released that tape had she not dedicated her Grammys speech to bashing Kanye for something she was aware of,” the source explains. “Kim and Kanye hope that one day they can make up with Taylor. They aren’t interested in having this beef.”

“Kim is glad that the truth is out there,” the insider adds. “Kim was sick of it for them, for their kids, for everyone who believes in them, and she was not going to let people take Kanye down.”

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