Kanye ‘Ye” West is speaking out against allegations against him in a civil lawsuit filed by his former assistant, which accuses him of sexual harassment and failing to pay her millions of dollars before she was wrongfully terminated. Lauren Pisciotta, 35, filed the suit Monday in the Los Angeles County Superior Court for wrongful termination, breach of contract, sexual harassment and hostile work environment, unlawful retaliation, and emotional distress.
Pisciotta began working for the rapper in 2021 as his executive assistant/personal assistant after collaborating on his clothing line, Yeezy Season 1, and working on his album, Donda. The suit alleges that Ye repeatedly sent her sexually explicit photos and videos, asked her inappropriate questions about her sex life, and more. The suit says that Pisciotta “did not welcome or encourage these offensive acts, texts, videos and statements” and did not condone his behavior.
In response to the lawsuit, West, 46, announced that he will be pursuing legal action against Pisciotta. A representative for Ye denied the allegations in a statement to NBC News: “In response to these baseless allegations, Ye will be filing a lawsuit against Ms. Pisciotta, who actively pursued him sexually to coerce employment and other material benefits, then engaged in blackmail and extortion when her advances were rejected. Prior to her termination as an assistant, Ms. Pisciotta stole his cell phone in an attempt to destroy phone records that would contradict her claims, all of which have been preserved. She was terminated for being unqualified, demanding unreasonable sums of money (including a $4 million annual salary) and numerous documented incidents of her lascivious, unhinged conduct .. 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. Her initial attempt at a lawsuit for unlawful termination gained no media traction, leading her to fabricate headlines following threats of blackmail and extortion.”
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