The various lawsuits against Kanye West are starting to pile up. This time, the controversial artist, more or less back in the public eye after a series of erratic, racist comments in 2022, has been sued for sexual harassment by a former assistant. Lauren Pisciotta alleges Ye sent lewd messages and videos, behaved appallingly over the phone, and wrongfully terminated her contract. The man now known as Ye has responded to her claims, detailed in our updates below.
Lauren Pisciotta sues for disturbing claims
June 3, 2024: Kanye West has been sued for sexual harassment, wrongful termination, and breach of contract by a former assistant, Us Weekly reports. Lauren Pisciotta says she was hired by West while he was managing his Yeezy fashion line and worked on three of his tracks for his album Donda, which dropped in 2021. She alleges the embattled star would masturbate during their phone conversations and ask her if she could guess or hear what he was doing, according to a lawsuit filed on Monday, June 3. In addition, the Vultures 1 rapper allegedly sent her sexual text messages, photos, and videos, which included content of West having sex. Pisciotta began working for West while she was running an OnlyFans account that she claims made $1 million per year. He then asked her to quit OnlyFans and solely work for him, promising to pay her the same salary she made from the app, to which Pisciotta agreed. The sexual harassment started after she fully left her previous role, Pisciotta claims. She eventually climbed her way up to chief of staff while dealing with West’s alleged misconduct, earning $4 million. When West fired her in October 2022, she says he failed to pay out an agreed $3 million severance package.
Ye tries to throw a reverse card
June 4, 2024: West responded to Pisciotta’s allegations with his own series of claims, per Rolling Stone. His legal rep called her lawsuit “baseless,†accusing her of blackmail and extortion. The statement alleges, “She was terminated for being unqualified, demanding unreasonable sums of money (including a $4 million annual salary) and numerous documented incidents of her lascivious, unhinged conduct.†It goes on to allege Pisciotta “used sexual coercion†to obtain money and gifts. West plans to countersue, according to the statement.
Ye is currently overseeing the production of his Yeezus line in Italy with his wife and naked-dressing devotee, Bianca Censori, as mainstream consciousness slowly forgets his unhinged antisemitic and anti-Black comments (he’s since apologized for the former), along with other Yeezy-related harassment allegations.