American rapper, Kanye West, is facing serious legal trouble as he has been sued by his former assistant, Lauren Pisciotta, who alleges sexual harassment, breach of contract, and wrongful termination.
The lawsuit claims that West sent her explicit texts and engaged in sexual acts while speaking with her on the phone.
Pisciotta, who worked for West for two years, contends that she was terminated in 2022 without receiving a promised severance package of $3 million, £2.4 million.
The allegations first surfaced in a report by TMZ, and were subsequently confirmed by prominent outlets including Rolling Stone, The Wrap, and US Weekly.
Court documents were filed on Monday in the U.S.
According to the lawsuit, Pisciotta was primarily relying on income from her OnlyFans account when she first met West in 2021.
Initially hired to assist with the launch of his Yeezy women’s fashion line, she and West later collaborated on three tracks for his Donda album, although she does not hold formal credits on that project.
Eventually, West offered her a position as his personal assistant, with an impressive annual salary of $1 million, £780,000, under the condition that she would be available “24-7.” Pisciotta states that she agreed to these terms.
In her legal filings, Pisciotta notes that West was initially supportive of her OnlyFans business.
However, in 2022, he reportedly expressed a desire for her to embody a “God-like” persona and pressured her to delete her account in exchange for an additional $1 million.
Following the closure of her account, she claims to have been inundated with explicit messages from West, including pornographic videos.
Pisciotta also alleges that West masturbated during their phone conversations and that on one occasion, he trapped her in a private room on his plane and pleasured himself in front of her.
By September 2022, Pisciotta had been promoted to Chief of Staff for West’s various enterprises, but her time in that role was short-lived as she claims to have been abruptly fired shortly thereafter, with her severance package never being paid.
Her lawsuit includes not only allegations of sexual harassment, breach of contract, and wrongful termination but also fraud, unpaid wages, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
This lawsuit is not an isolated incident; West has faced similar accusations in the past.
In November 2023, several employees from his Yeezy fashion line reported to Rolling Stone that West had played pornographic films during staff meetings and displayed intimate images of his then-wife, Kim Kardashian, in job interviews.
Kanye West has not commented on these latest allegations and has maintained a low profile since they emerged. He has previously discussed his struggles with addiction to pornography, which he claims “destroyed my family.”
In an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music, he said, “For me, Playboy was my gateway into full-on pornography addiction. My dad had a Playboy left out at age five, and it’s affected almost every choice I made for the rest of my life.”
West’s legal woes continue to mount, as he has already faced two other lawsuits this year.
In April, he was accused of racial discrimination and harassment by Benjamin Deshon Provo, a former security guard at his now-closed Donda Academy.
Provo alleged that he experienced discrimination due to his Muslim faith and was given an ultimatum to cut his dreadlocks or be fired.
In February, West was sued by the estate of the late Donna Summer for using a sample of her iconic song “I Feel Love” without permission, though this case was eventually settled out of court.
Once regarded as one of the most successful and influential rappers of the 2000s and 2010s, known for chart-topping hits like ‘Gold Digger’, ‘Stronger’, and ‘All of the Lights’.
West’s career has been marred by various controversies. Most notably, in November 2022, his lucrative partnership with Adidas was terminated following his antisemitic remarks on social media.
Nevertheless, he managed to return to the top of the U.S. charts earlier this year with the hit single “Carnival” and its accompanying album, “Vultures.”
