Lawsuit Alleges West Drugged, Assaulted Ex-Assistant

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Lauren Pisciotta, Kanye West’s former assistant, has expanded her June lawsuit to include fresh allegations of drugging and sexual assault against the rapper.

Kanye West, now known as Ye, is facing new allegations from his ex-assistant Lauren Pisciotta, who initially sued him in June for sexual harassment and wrongful termination. Pisciotta has now amended her complaint, filed on October 8, which was obtained by multiple outlets. She claims that during a studio session co-hosted by West and Sean “Diddy” Combs, she was drugged and sexually assaulted by the rapper. While Combs is mentioned in the complaint, he is not accused of any misconduct in this case. Combs is currently dealing with separate charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering. West’s representatives have yet to respond to inquiries from Yahoo Entertainment.

These recent accusations add to a growing list of legal issues West has been involved in over the years. Here’s what we know about the new allegations, along with a summary of some other lawsuits the rapper is currently facing.

Latest Allegations

In her amended lawsuit filed in Los Angeles, Pisciotta claims she and a former artist management client, who remains unnamed in the complaint, were invited to a studio session hosted by West and Combs in Santa Monica, California. The lawsuit does not specify the exact date of this gathering. Pisciotta states that during the session, drinks were served to everyone in attendance and it was announced that “everyone had to drink if they wanted to stay,” according to the complaint.

After consuming the drinks, Pisciotta alleges that she suddenly felt disoriented and had difficulty controlling her body and speech. The next morning, she woke up with limited memory of what had occurred, feeling physically ill and confused. For years, Pisciotta believed she had simply embarrassed herself at a professional event. However, years later, she claims that West brought up the night and admitted that they “kind of hooked up” that evening.

This conversation, according to Pisciotta, led her to the realization that she had been sexually assaulted by West while incapacitated during the studio session. She decided to leave her job, but feared being blacklisted or retaliated against by West and others in the music industry. Pisciotta claims she was terminated soon after.

Though Combs is mentioned in the lawsuit, he is not accused of any wrongdoing. He is currently facing unrelated charges of sex trafficking and racketeering.

The Initial Lawsuit

Pisciotta’s original lawsuit claimed that West hired her in July 2021 as an executive assistant with a promised salary of $1 million, requiring her to be available 24/7. Pisciotta had previously worked with West on his Yeezy Season 1 women’s fashion line in 2015 and his 2021 album Donda. In her lawsuit, she mentioned that before West hired her, she had earned $1 million by creating content on OnlyFans and social media, something West supported.

By August 2022, West allegedly asked Pisciotta to delete her OnlyFans account in exchange for $1 million, a promise she claims he never fulfilled. In September 2022, Pisciotta was promoted to West’s chief of staff, with the promise of a $3 million bonus. However, she was fired the following month and asserts that she never received the promised compensation.

Pisciotta 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 Explicit Photos

In the lawsuit, Pisciotta also alleges that West sent her vulgar texts, including graphic sexual fantasies, as well as intimate photos of other male and female Yeezy employees. One message, reported by Page Six, read: “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 fed while I’m fing them. Then I want her to cheat on me.”

Pisciotta also alleges that West sent her explicit photos and videos of himself having sex with models and masturbating during phone calls and a flight to Paris, according to Rolling Stone. Additionally, Pisciotta claims West developed an obsession with her, allegedly moving into her building and stalking her after she turned down his advances. She states that he became furious when she refused to date him or engage in sexual activity.

West Denies the Allegations

West has not yet responded to Pisciotta’s amended complaint. However, his lawyers previously dismissed her initial accusations as “baseless.” In a statement to Page Six in June, West’s legal team claimed Pisciotta pursued the rapper “sexually to coerce employment and other material benefits.” They further alleged that when West rejected her advances, Pisciotta blackmailed him by stealing his phone and attempting to destroy phone records that would disprove her claims.

His attorneys also argued that her behavior was inconsistent with someone who had been sexually harassed or subjected to a hostile work environment. They claimed that Pisciotta had leveraged her relationship with West to seek personal gains, clout, and employment through inappropriate methods. In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, West’s lawyers claimed Pisciotta had initially filed a lawsuit for unlawful termination that didn’t gain media attention, which led her to “fabricate headlines following threats of blackmail and extortion.”

A Summary of West’s Other Legal Troubles

Kanye West has been entangled in numerous lawsuits over the past few years. Some notable cases include:

April 2024: Benjamin Deshon Pravo, a security guard for Donda Academy, an unaccredited Christian private school founded by West in 2022, sued West for racial discrimination. Pravo claimed 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, filed a lawsuit against West for alleged discriminatory and antisemitic behavior.
February 2024: West alleged that Adidas was suing him for $250 million, although no public lawsuit was confirmed. Adidas had filed a private arbitration case over West’s offensive public statements, alleging a breach of their partnership.
September 2023: Tony Saxon, a former caretaker and security guard at West’s Malibu mansion, sued for $1 million, citing dangerous working conditions and unpaid wages.
June 2023: Paparazzo Nichol Lechmanik sued West for throwing her phone into traffic, accusing him of assault, battery, and negligence.
May 2023: Gap Inc. filed a lawsuit against West for $2 million, accusing him of failing to meet contractual obligations following the termination of their Yeezy partnership.
April 2023: Teachers Cecilia Hailey and Chekarey Byers sued Donda Academy, citing health, safety, and educational violations. They claimed the school failed to provide essential services and follow state regulations. Timanii Meeks, another teacher, later joined the lawsuit.