Bruno Mars said in a recent interview that he admires Kanye West's ability to express his opinion so freely, defending the rapper who went on a rant about Justin Timberlake and Taylor Swift during his concert in London.

While performing at the Hammersmith Apollo in February, West said about Swift, "Taylor Swift beat Beyonce at the Grammys? Beyonce be dancing in heels and s**t."

Then about Timberlake he said, "I got love for Hov [Jay-Z] but I ain't f**king with that 'Suit & Tie.' "

West made headlines and was criticized for his harsh comments, but Mars defended him by explaining to interviewers at Capital FM, "I don't think you can be mad at a guy that speaks his opinion - whether you disagree with it or not."

"It's hard being in the spotlight, you're doing interviews and shows, and you want to just be politically correct so people like you and buy your albums," Mars continued. "It takes a lot for someone to be honest in these kind of situations.

"That is what Kanye West is. He is going to speak his mind, you might not agree with everything that he says, but you know what the guy's telling it like it is in his mind."

Many remember the negative comments West made about Swift at the 2009 Video Music Awards. He stormed the stage just as the songstress was about to give her acceptance speech for receiving Best Female Video. He cut the Swift off, grabbed the microphone and protested in support of Beyonce.

"I'm sorry, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time," he said.