Kanye West faces a new sexual assault and strangulation lawsuit filed by Jenifer Anmodel and former reality contestant America’s Next Top Model. The incident, according to legal documents presented this Friday the 22nd in a federal court in New York, would have occurred in 2010 during the filming of the music video for “In for the Kill”, of La Roux, at the Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan.
The lawsuit describes West arriving on set and quickly pointing out An, who was working as a lead actress, saying: “Give me the Asian girl.”. According to the documents reviewed by the press, the rapper, who was not part of the official production, took control of the scene and forced the cameramen to focus exclusively on Jenn’s face while he perpetrated the alleged abuse.
“On camera, Defendant West began choking Plaintiff with one hand. He then wrapped his other hand around her neck and continued to strangle her with both hands,” the lawsuit details, cited by Rolling Stone.
Later, Ye would have introduced “several fingers in his throat, continually moving them in and out”which the complainant describes as an act that “emulated forced oral sex” and resembled BDSM type fetishes. During the incident, West yelled: “This is art. This is fucking art. “I’m like Picasso.”
An claims he struggled to breathe and, at one point, momentarily lost consciousness as West continued the alleged assault. When the rapper finally stopped, the model was left with her face covered in saliva and smeared makeup. Despite the presence of other people on the set, An claims that no one intervened to stop what was happening.
According to reports from NME y Rolling Stonethe model also extended the lawsuit to Universal Music Group (UMG)which arranged West’s participation in the video. She accuses the company of negligence by failing to investigate the incident or take action after what happened. The process seeks economic and punitive compensation.
After filing the civil measure, An issued a statement in which she denounced the culture of abuse prevalent in the music and entertainment industries: “Women in these sectors have been subjected to sexual abuse for years, without real opportunities to speak or implement changes. This space is dangerous for women, who are seen as objects. The industry puts us in abusive power dynamics. Outside of creating legal precedents, sexual assault survivors have nothing.”
An’s attorneys, ChristBerouty and Jesse Weinstein, backed her up with the following statement: “Everyone’s voice is important, and West cannot evade responsibility because of his success and notoriety.”
On the other hand, representatives for West, UMG and La Roux did not immediately respond to media questions, according to reports. Rolling Stone y NME.
Jenifer An’s complaint is just the latest in a series of legal problems that Kanye West faces in 2024. Just a week earlier, former Yeezy employee Murphy Aficionado filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court accusing West of anti-Semitism, a hostile work environment and inappropriate conduct.
The complaint alleges that West launched “anti-Semitic tirades” daily in front of his team and forced them to witness loud sexual activities while West was in adjoining rooms with his wife, Bianca Censorsor with a masseuse.
On the other hand, in June, his former assistant Lauren Pisciotta sued him for sexual harassment and wrongful termination. In an update to her case filed in October, Pisciotta added new allegations, including sexual assault and claims that West drugged her.
Despite the seriousness of the allegations, West’s legal team has denied their veracity and, in some cases, has announced countersuits. In response to Pisciotta’s arguments, a representative for West previously told Rolling Stone that the claims were “baseless.”
