Kanye West, now known as Ye, is facing new allegations from his former assistant, Lauren Pisciotta, who previously sued him in June for sexual harassment and wrongful termination.
In an amended complaint filed on Oct. 8 and obtained by multiple outlets, Pisciotta, who worked for West from 2021 to 2022, claims that the rapper drugged and sexually assaulted her during a studio session co-hosted by Sean “Diddy” Combs. Combs, who is facing separate sex trafficking and racketeering charges, is named in Pisciotta’s complaint but is not accused of wrongdoing in her case.
West’s representatives have not responded to Yahoo Entertainment’s requests for comment.
These latest accusations add to a growing list of legal troubles the rapper has faced in recent years. Here’s what we know so far about the new allegations — and a summary of some of the other lawsuits the rapper is currently facing.
👀 The latest allegations
According to the amended lawsuit filed in Los Angeles, Pisciotta alleges that she and her former artist management client, who’s unnamed in the lawsuit, were invited to a studio session hosted by West and Combs in Santa Monica, Calif.
The complaint does not specify when, exactly, this alleged gathering took place. During the session, Pisciotta alleges that “drinks were served to her and others in attendance” and that it was announced that “everybody had to drink, if they wanted to stay,” according to the complaint.
Upon drinking, Pisciotta alleges in the complaint that she “suddenly started to feel disoriented” and felt “less in control of her body and speech.” She woke up the next morning with little recollection of what happened, “feeling physically ill and confused.”
For years, Pisciotta believed she had been drugged and embarrassed herself at a work event. Years later, however, the lawsuit alleges that West brought up that night, admitting that they “did kind of hook up” that evening.
Pisciotta claims that their conversation led her to realize that she had been sexually assaulted by West while she was incapacitated that night at the studio session. She decided to quit working for the rapper, but according to the complaint, she had to be “extremely careful” in her approach, fearing she would be “silenced, blacklisted and retaliated against” by West and others in the music industry. Pisciotta was reportedly fired shortly thereafter.
The former assistant did not accuse Combs of any wrongdoing in the complaint, though he is now facing unrelated charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering.
🧑⚖️ The prior lawsuit
In Pisciotta’s initial lawsuit, she claimed that West hired her in July 2021 as an executive assistant with a promised $1 million salary, requiring her to be on call 24/7. Pisciotta had previously worked on the rapper’s Yeezy Season 1 women’s fashion line, in 2015, and his 2021 album Donda.
The year before West hired her, Pisciotta claimed she’d earned $1 million creating content on OnlyFans and social media posts, which West supported. By August 2022, however, he allegedly asked her to delete the account in exchange for $1 million — a promise Pisciotta said he never kept.
Pisciotta claimed that West promoted her to his chief of staff in September 2022, with an offer of a $3 million bonus. She was fired the following month and claims that she was never paid.
She is now suing for sexual harassment, breach of contract, wrongful termination and creating a hostile work environment, seeking at least $4 million in damages.
📲 Vulgar texts and intimate photos
Pisciotta’s lawsuit alleges that West sent vulgar texts, including graphic sexual fantasies, as well as intimate photos of other male and female Yeezy employees.
“See my problem is I be wanting to f*** but then after I f*** I want a girl to tell me how hard they been f***ed while I’m f***ing them. Then I want her to cheat on me,” one of the purported messages read, according to Page Six.
Pisciotta further claims that West sent her snapshots and videos of himself having sex with models as well as masturbating during phone calls with her and on a flight to Paris, according to Rolling Stone. Pisciotta also accuses West of having an “obsession” with her, allegedly moving into her building and stalking her after her termination. She also said he became angry when she rejected his advances to date or have sex.
❌ West calls the allegations ‘baseless’
While West hasn’t yet responded publicly to Pisciotta’s amended complaint, his lawyers previously slammed her initial allegations as “baseless,” telling Page Six in June that the model pursued West “sexually to coerce employment and other material benefits.”
His attorneys further claimed that Pisciotta blackmailed the rapper when “her advances were rejected,” accusing her of stealing his phone to “destroy phone records that would contradict her claims.”
“Such behavior is entirely inconsistent with someone who claims to have been sexually harassed or experienced a hostile work environment,” West’s lawyers stated to the Los Angeles Times. “It is evident that Ms. Pisciotta leveraged her association with Ye and his company, and her proximity to him, to seek material gains, clout, and employment through inappropriate means.”
The statement added: “Her initial attempt at a lawsuit for unlawful termination gained no media traction, leading her to fabricate headlines following threats of blackmail and extortion.”
⚖️ A summary of West’s other legal troubles
West’s legal team has been busy managing a series of lawsuits over the last couple of years. They include:
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April 2024: Benjamin Deshon Pravo, a security guard for Donda Academy, an unaccredited Christian private school founded by West in 2022, sued for racial discrimination, claiming the rapper favored white employees and fired him for refusing to cut his dreadlocks. That same month, Trevor Phillips, a former Donda Academy and Yeezy employee, sued for West’s alleged discriminatory and antisemitic behavior.
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February 2024: West claimed Adidas was suing him for $250 million, though no public lawsuit surfaced. Adidas filed a private arbitration case over his public offensive statements, alleging breach of their partnership.
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September 2023: Tony Saxon, a former caretaker and security guard at West’s Malibu mansion, sued for $1 million, alleging dangerous work conditions and unpaid wages.
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June 2023: Paparazzo Nichol Lechmanik sued West for throwing her phone into traffic, claiming assault, battery and negligence.
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May 2023: Gap Inc. sued West for $2 million over the termination of their Yeezy partnership, accusing West of failing to meet contractual obligations.
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April 2023: Teachers Cecilia Hailey and Chekarey Byers sued Donda Academy, alleging health, safety, and educational violations. They claimed the school failed to provide essential services and adhere to state regulations. A third teacher, Timanii Meeks, later joined the suit.
