The 2000 show is best remembered for Tim Commerford of Rage Against the Machine climbing a piece of set scaffolding and refusing to come down after his band lost the award for Best Rock Video to Limp Bizkit. The show went to commercial while security removed Commerford, who was later arrested and forced to spend a night in jail. Eighteen-year-old Britney Spears garnered controversy over her skin-colored performance attire, which gave the impression that she was nude but for strategically placed crystals. Bizkit vocalist Fred Durst later joined Christina Aguilera onstage as a surprise guest during her performance of Come on Over Baby (All I Want Is You). For the second year in a row DMX did not show up for his scheduled performance; as a result, Nelly's performance, originally scheduled for the pre-show, was promoted to the main event. Other highlights included Eminem performing amidst an army of "Slim Shady" lookalikes and a humorous montage dedicated to past VMA winners who had failed to repeat their previous success.
