Kanye West Accused of Assaulting Model in NYC Lawsuit

A model named Jenifer An has filed a lawsuit accusing Kanye West of assaulting her during a 2010 music video shoot in New York City. The suit claims the incident happened at the Chelsea Hotel, where she was working as a background performer. It alleges that West “ordered the female background actors/models, including Plaintiff, to line up in the hallway.”

What the lawsuit says happened

According to the complaint, the rapper picked her from the lineup, pointing at her and saying, “Give me the Asian girl.” She was wearing “revealing lingerie” and though she felt uneasy, she went with him into a suite with a sofa and a camera.

Once inside, the lawsuit says Kanye ordered playback music and acted erratically. “Defendant the 48-year-old then pulled two chairs near the camera, positioned them across from each other and instructed Plaintiff to sit in the chair in front of the camera.”

The complaint continues that he “began to choke the plaintiff with one hand. He then wrapped his other hand around her neck and continued to strangle her with both hands.”

It further alleges Kanye “smothered her face with both of his hands, which smeared her makeup. He then rammed several fingers down her throat, continuously moved them in and out and gagged her to emulate forced oral sex.” During the assault, he reportedly screamed, “This is art. This is f------ art. I am like Picasso.”

Legal claims and demands

Jenn An says she struggled to breathe and “felt as if she had temporarily blacked out.” The lawsuit says when West finished, “her face was covered in saliva and smeared makeup.” The model is asking for compensatory and punitive damages including for mental, physical and emotional harm and Universal Music Group is also named in the case, accused of failing to investigate or intervene.

Kanye West has not publicly responded to these specific allegations as the lawsuit adds to other legal challenges he has faced in recent years.