Kanye West is reportedly being sued by at least one former employee who claims he suffered “forced labor and cruelty that was inhumane or degrading” while working for the embattled rapper/entrepreneur. treatment”.
Kanye West and his former chief of staff Milo Yiannopoulos are both named as defendants, according to court documents obtained by TMZ. West is accused of making false promises to pay adult and underage staff and insisting they worked “crazy long hours” as they were taunted by racist attacks.
The problems apparently began in the spring of 2024, when West launched the YZYVSN streaming service app similar to Tidal, Spotify and Apple Music. The lawsuit alleges that West wanted to avoid paying the companies to promote his last two albums, “Vultures” and “Vultures 2.” black members and underage teenagers, and then things took a turn for the worst.
Yiannopoulos promised to pay the developer team $120,000 once they completed the application if they agreed to working conditions, did not complain and signed a nondisclosure agreement, the filing said. They then allegedly threatened to fire the minors (who were forced to sign “volunteer” agreements) and refuse to pay them wages if they did not comply.
The lawsuit also alleges that white managers used harassing language toward minorities based on age, race, gender, sexual orientation and national origin. Some team members are labeled “slaves,” while others are called “new slaves.”
Censori, for her part, is accused of sending a file-sharing link containing pornographic content to a worker, although she was not named as a defendant. The alleged incident occurred after West announced plans to start his own adult film company. Underage workers were allegedly not banned from viewing objectionable videos while developing the app.
West and Yiannopoulos also allegedly never paid employees, so they are seeking damages for back wages, overtime and emotional distress.
The new lawsuit is just the latest legal trouble for Kanye West, who has been dogged by various accusations over the past few years. Earlier this month, West and Sensori were sued by former assistant Lauren Pisciotta for sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment.
She claimed that while she was working, West sent her sexually explicit messages, including videos of himself with other women, and even masturbated while talking to her on the phone. The lawsuit also details an incident in which West and Sensoli allegedly bragged about attending a five-person orgy and had Pisciotta coordinate Uber rides for women to join them.
The charges also involve incidents of workplace misconduct. Pisciotta claimed that West asked her to take off her cardigan in the office and wanted other female guests to perform sexual acts on him and his male guests in the office locker room.
West has denied the accusations, calling them baseless, and plans to countersue, accusing Pisciotta of trying to blackmail him and sending him nude photos in an effort to have sex with him. The case intensifies the bitter legal battles West has faced in recent years, highlighting ongoing problems in his professional and personal life.
As for Milo Yiannopoulos, he resigned in May.
