Scandalous Moments from Award Shows That Rocked the Industry

#30: The Kiss Between Madonna, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera

When: 20th MTV Video Music Awards, 2003

Before Britney Spears’ infamous lip-sync mishap at the 2007 VMAs, she was already making headlines for another unforgettable moment. At MTV’s 2003 award show, Spears shared a now-legendary on-stage kiss with Madonna during their performance. While some hailed it as iconic, others, including Stevie Nicks, found it off-putting.

What’s lesser-known is that Madonna also locked lips with Christina Aguilera immediately after kissing Spears, a moment unfortunately cut from the broadcast to showcase Justin Timberlake’s reaction. Aguilera wasn’t pleased with the editing decision, seeing it as a “cheap shot” capitalizing on Timberlake and Spears’ recent breakup.