A former Kanye West employee is demanding nearly $100,000 in legal fees after the rapper’s failed attempt to dismiss her harassment lawsuit was rejected by a Los Angeles County judge.
As per Rolling Stone, the marketing specialist, who filed the lawsuit in February under the pseudonym Jane Doe, claims she endured a “calculated campaign” of antisemitic and sexual harassment whilst working for Yeezy in late 2023 and 2024. Her complaint details a hostile work environment filled with verbal abuse, discrimination, and what she describes as “constant degradation of women.”
The lawsuit alleges that West sent the employee disturbing messages including “welcome to the first day of working for Hitler” and “Hail Hitler” before her abrupt termination when she reported his behaviour to her manager. She further claims the rapper once sent her a photograph of a nude woman and ordered her to work on his Yeezy Porn venture against her wishes.
In April, West filed a motion to strike the complaint, arguing that the former staffer was attempting to “suppress” his constitutionally protected right to artistic expression. His legal filing characterised him as a performance artist, stating: “Ye is not merely a creator; he is art. Ye’s public and private personas form a continuous, provocative performance that challenges societal taboos surrounding race, religion, gender, power, politics, and censorship.”
However, Los Angeles County Judge Theresa M. Traber delivered a scathing rejection of West’s motion on June 30th. The judge described the filing as “rife with defects, specious arguments, and misstatements of law.” She particularly criticised the declarations West submitted from alleged witnesses, including one from his self-described chief of staff Milo Yiannopoulos, calling them “totally lacking in personal knowledge or proper foundation.”
Judge Traber determined that the motion was “frivolous and/or solely intended to cause unnecessary delay,” making West liable for the plaintiff’s “reasonable” attorney’s fees and costs. The former employee is now seeking $99,720, with a hearing scheduled for September 12th to determine the fairness of that amount.
This lawsuit represents one of more than a dozen legal challenges West has faced since his initial antisemitic outburst nearly three years ago. In October 2022, he tweeted his intention to “go death con 3 ON JEWISH PEOPLE,” which sparked widespread condemnation and commercial consequences.
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A subsequent Rolling Stone investigation revealed that West presided over a “toxic” work environment at Yeezy, allegedly telling one employee that “skinheads and Nazis were his greatest inspiration.” Despite apologising in a Hebrew Instagram post, West continued promoting antisemitic imagery, including wearing a T-shirt for Norwegian metal musician Burzum, who has been fined for antisemitism.
The controversy has had international ramifications, with Australia revoking West’s visa last month following the release of his single titled “Heil Hitler” in May.
