Kanye West Accuses Former Personal Assistant of 'Blackmail and Extortion' After She Files Complaint Against Him
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In a new statement, a legal representative for the rapper responded to his ex-assistant claims of being subjected to explicit texts, photos, videos and phone calls
Rachpoot/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images Kanye West seen on May 13, 2023 in Los Angeles, California
A legal representative for Kanye West has responded on behalf of the rapper after a lawsuit was filed against himThe court complaint filed by the musician's ex-assistant alleges sexual harassment and a hostile work environmentWest's former personal assistant also claims she was subjected to explicit texts, pornographic photos, videos and phone calls before being fired in 2022Kanye West is now accusing his ex-assistant of “blackmail and extortion” after a lawsuit was filed against him earlier this week alleging sexual harassment and a hostile work environment.A complaint obtained by PEOPLE stated that West’s former personal assistant, Lauren Pisciotta — who says she also worked as an executive for the rapper’s various companies — is suing him after she was allegedly subjected to explicit texts, pornographic photos, videos and phone calls before being “wrongfully terminated.” She’s currently seeking compensation for her time of employment, along with breach of contract. In a new statement shared with PEOPLE, a representative for West claimed the rapper, 46, is filing his own lawsuit against his ex-employee for making “baseless allegations” against him and making “demands” of “$50 [million] in last week's frivolous filing.” Court records do not show that West has filed a lawsuit against Pisciotta at this time.
Arnold Jerocki/Getty Kanye West attends the Marni fashion show during the Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2024-2025 on February 23, 2024 in Milan, Italy
A statement from West’s legal representative claimed Pisciotta was “terminated for being unqualified” and “demanding unreasonable sums of money (including a $4 million annual salary).” The statement also alleged that prior to her termination, Pisciotta “stole [West’s] cell phone in an attempt to destroy phone records.”Additionally, it alleged that Pisciotta “used sexual coercion in an attempt to demand not only money but material items, namely Hermes Birkin bags, a Lamborghini” and “plastic surgery.”
Related: Kanye West's Former Security Guard Sues Him for Discrimination Against Black Employees and Wrongful Termination
“Such behavior is entirely inconsistent with someone who claims to have been sexually harassed or experienced a hostile work environment,” West’s representative wrote in the statement. “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.”Pisciotta did not immediately return PEOPLE's request for comment, nor did Pisciotta's attorney.
Scott Dudelson/FilmMagic Kanye West performs onstage at the Power 106 Powerhouse show at Honda Center on June 3, 2016 in Anaheim, California
In Pisciotta’s lawsuit, she claimed that West initially hired her in July 2021 to work on his Yeezy women’s fashion line and that he collaborated with her on three songs for his Donda album. She alleged that West then hired her as his personal assistant, after which they “agreed on a salary” of $1 million on the condition that she was available “24” hours a day and “seven” days a week, which she accepted. Per the complaint, Pisciotta — an Instagram model with over 1 million followers — said she also worked as an OnlyFans model during that time.After a year of working as West’s assistant, she claimed that the “Vultures” rapper told her he wanted her to be "God like" and asked that she delete her OnlyFans account, allegedly promising to pay her an additional $1 million to make up for her loss in income if she did so. According to the lawsuit, she agreed.
Related: Kanye West Reportedly a Suspect for Battery in L.A. After Allegedly Punching Man in the Face
However, soon after closing her account, Pisciotta claimed that West began sending her vulgar messages in which he explicitly described sexual acts that he wanted to engage in, along with pornographic photos and videos. She also alleged that West would masturbate while he had phone conversations with her, asked her questions about her boyfriends’ penis sizes, and in one instance, asked that she remove her cardigan in the office because it “was covering too much.”
Dave Kotinsky/Getty Kanye West performs at the 2016 Hot 97 Summer Jam at MetLife Stadium on June 5, 2016 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
In another incident detailed in the filing, Pisciotta claimed that the Life of Pablo musician once trapped her in a private room on his plane and pleasured himself in front of her. After over a year of working for West, Pisciotta said she was eventually promoted to Chief of Staff of his various companies in September 2022, which came with a $4 million salary. However, she claimed the rapper fired her a month later. Pisciotta claimed she was offered $3 million in severance pay but allegedly never received it. In addition to wrongful termination, Pisciotta is also suing West and his Yeezy businesses for fraud, unpaid wages and intentional infliction of emotional distress, per the court complaint. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People.
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