Model sues Kanye West for sexual assault and strangulation on video set

Kanye West is being sued by a model alleging he choked her and subjected her to “pornographic gagging” on the set of a La Roux music video in 2009.

In a suit filed Friday (November 22) in a New York federal court in New York, plaintiff Jenifer An alleges that West came to the set of the video for Roux’s hit ‘In For The Kill’ at Manhattan’s Chelsea Hotel, on which she was a background actor, and staged “his own production” without any resistance “in a manner similar to pornographic gagging/deep throat/BDSM fetishes.”

An alleges that West came to the set, pointed to her and said, “Give me the Asian girl.” She claims West was “towering over” her and “breathing heavily” when he subsequently directed the camera crew to zoom on her face to capture the alleged assault.

“On camera, defendant West began to choke plaintiff with one hand. He then wrapped his other hand around her neck and continued to strangle her with both hands,” the lawsuit alleges. “He then rammed several fingers down her throat, continuously moved them in and out, and gagged her.”

An claims that West used his fingers “to emulate forced oral sex” while allegedly screaming, “This is art. This is fucking art. I am like Picasso.”

An alleged that nobody on the set helped her. “Plaintiff struggled to breathe and felt as if she had temporarily blacked out. When defendant West decided that he was finished with plaintiff, her face was covered in saliva and smeared makeup,” the suit reads.

The model names Universal Music Group as a co-defendant in the lawsuit, claiming they arranged West’s planned cameo in the video and later “failed to investigate” or take action. She is seeking compensatory and punitive damages.

NME has approached West, Universal Music Group and La Roux’s representatives for comment.

The suit follows the news of one of West’s ex-employees suing him over discrimination, a hostile work environment, retaliation, not paying wages, and wrongful termination.

In the lawsuit, filed at Los Angeles County Superior Court, Murphy Aficionado alleges that he was openly antisemitic in front of his staff.

The lawsuit details allegations of West spouting “antisemitic tirades” around his employees, which was purportedly a “daily occurrence”.

The suit also makes allegations of lewd conduct, describing West walking out of a business meeting in a Beverly Hills hotel in November 2022 to have “loud” sex with wife Bianca Censori in the room next door.

West has not yet responded to any of Aficionado’s allegations.

This is not the first time West has been sued by one of his ex-employees. In June, his ex-assistant Lauren Pisciotta sued him for sexual harassment and wrongful termination and alleged in an expanded lawsuit last month that he had sexually assaulted to her.

At the time, West responded to the claims in a statement made to Rolling Stone via his legal representative, calling Pisciotta’s accusations “baseless”, and announcing he planned to countersue.

News of the amended suit emerged only days after West was sued by another former employee, who claimed that the rapper hired him to spy on the Kardashians, follow his wife Bianca Censori and more.

In April, West was sued for racial discrimination by one of his former security guards. He was sued by another member of staff recently for allegedly threatening to “cage” his Donda Academy students. West has not responded to either lawsuit.

For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.

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