Former MTV Execs Recall How Madonna, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera Kiss Came to Be

MTV executives are reflecting on the unforgettable onstage kiss between Madonna, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera 20 years after the trio locked lips at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. 

"I don't have to encourage Madonna to go over-the-top," former MTV president Van Toffler told Rolling Stone in a new profile published Tuesday. "That's in her DNA. We were just saying, 'We're gonna give you a lot of real estate. It's a big moment.' We talked about guest performers."

Tom Calderone, former executive vice president of music and talent at MTV, told the publication that the network was looking for something a little more upbeat to open that year's show with, as Bruce Springsteen had opened the 2002 show with "The Rising," a 9/11 memorial song. 

"When you turn to Madonna, they were always very understanding that this is her creative moment," former MTV employee Summer Strauch added. "They value whatever she chooses."

Madonna then enlisted Spears, Missy Elliott and Jennifer Lopez for the performance; however, the "Jenny From the Block" singer had to drop out because she was filming Shall We Dance? that summer. Once Aguilera replaced Lopez, private rehearsals began. 

VMAs director Beth McCarthy-Miller was able to watch the ladies rehearse in Los Angeles ahead of the show and called Toffler to give him a heads-up about their performance. 

"'You're not going to be able to tell anyone, but I think this is going to make you happy,'" Toffler recalled her telling him. "'Madonna kisses Britney and Christina.'"

Sure enough, the opening performance featured Madonna planting a sultry smooch on Spears before the "Like a Virgin" singer stole a kiss from Aguilera — which was cut short so cameras could pick up Justin Timberlake's less-than-pleased expression. He and Spears famously started dating in 1999 but split in 2002. 

Toffler said the "Genie in a Bottle" crooner's management was not happy with the decision to cut away from her and Madonna's kiss. 

"It didn't make life easier that night, but you have to make choices in a live show," he said. "Sometimes you're wrong and sometimes you're right, but I think the beauty of the VMAs was the combustibility. You wanted to make it fun and semi-chaotic. That's what we did."

Though Toffler said he also got a lot of hate mail from the older generation after the live show aired, the criticism didn't rattle him.

"It's just quintessential Madonna," Toffler added. "You give Madonna the germ of an idea or just the real estate, and she's going to take it. She had a history of pushing us and pushing culture, and that's what was great about her and what was great about MTV. We pushed culture in provocative ways."