Miley Cyrus blasts Nicki Minaj for VMA remarks: 'I don't respect your statement, because of the anger that came with it'

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Miley Cyrus is set to host Sunday night’s MTV Video Music Awards, and apparently, she feels the need to address the month-old feud between Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj.

In July, after the VMA nominees, we announced that Minaj turned to Twitter to call out MTV for neglecting to nominate her video collaboration with Beyoncé for “Feeling Myself” and for shutting out her “Anaconda” from the video of the year category.

Minaj then shifted her focus to “Anaconda,” saying that if her video featured women with slimmer figures, it would have scored a nomination for video of the year.

“If your video celebrates women with very slim bodies, you will be nominated for vid of the year,” she tweeted. “Oh but trust me. I’ll be on that stage to collect my awards for vid of the year. Feeling Myself & Anaconda.”

Minaj’s remarks ultimately led to a bitter Twitter feud with Taylor Swift, which Swift later called one big misunderstanding.

In a just-released interview with the New York Times, Cyrus weighed in on Minaj’s comments about the lack of diversity among the VMA nominees, saying, “I don’t respect your statement because of the anger that came with it.”

“What I read sounded very Nicki Minaj, which, if you know Nicki Minaj is not too kind,” Cyrus added. “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.”

Read more of Cyrus’ interview with the New York Times below:

What did you make of the Nicki Minaj controversy around the V.M.A.s — that she was upset “Anaconda” wasn’t nominated for Video of the Year?

I saw that. I didn’t really get into it. I know there was some beef. I don’t really know. There’s a way to talk to people …

Do you know what she said?

She was saying that everyone was white and blonde that got nominated, I heard? And then Taylor Swift butted in.

She may have alluded to “Wrecking Ball” also, saying that when a naked white girl breaks a Vevo record she gets nominated.

I didn’t follow it. You know what I always say? Not that this is jealousy, but jealousy does the opposite of what you want it to — that’s a yoga mantra. People forget that the choices that they make and how they treat people in life affect you in a really big way. If you do things with an open heart and you come at things with love, you would be heard and I would respect your statement. But I don’t respect your statement because of the anger that came with it.

And it’s not anger like, “Guys, I’m frustrated about some things that are a bigger issue.”

You made it about you. Not to sound like a bitch, but that’s like, “Eh, I didn’t get my V.M.A.”

But she was ——

If you want to make it about race, there’s a way you could do that. But don’t make it just about yourself. Say: “This is the reason why I think it’s important to be nominated. There’s girls everywhere with this body type.”

I think she did say that ——

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. It became Nicki Minaj and Taylor in a fight, so now the story isn’t even on what you wanted it to be about. Now you’ve just given E! News “Catfight! Taylor and Nicki Go at It.”

I know you can make it seem like, Oh I just don’t understand because I’m a white pop star. 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.

Minaj is set to open the VMA‘s Sunday at 9/8c on MTV.