Current:Home > reviewsYe accused of drugging, sexually assaulting ex-assistant at Diddy session -DollarDynamic
Ye accused of drugging, sexually assaulting ex-assistant at Diddy session
View
Date:2025-04-27 19:00:34
Ye is facing new allegations from his former assistant, who claims he drugged and sexually assaulted her.
In an amended complaint filed in California and obtained by USA TODAY, Kanye West's former assistant Lauren Pisciotta alleged the rapper "touched, groped, fondled, grabbed and forced himself in and on" her on multiple occasions without her consent. The latest filing came after Pisciotta previously sued Ye for sexual harassment, wrongful termination and breach of contract earlier this year.
USA TODAY has reached out to a representative for Ye for comment.
In a statement provided to Rolling Stone in June, a legal representative for the rapper accused Pisciotta of "blackmail and extortion" and claimed 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," adding that Pisciotta "consistently used sexual coercion in an attempt to demand not only money but material items."
In the filing, Pisciotta detailed one incident of alleged sexual assault she said occurred before she started working for Ye, when the rapper invited her to attend a studio session he co-hosted with Sean "Diddy" Combs. The complaint alleged Pisciotta was served with a drink laced with an unidentified drug, which caused her to slip into a "heavily impaired state." Pisciotta said she woke up the next day with no memory of what happened.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
New Kanye West lawsuit:Ye accused of 'spreading antisemitism' at Donda Academy
According to the complaint, Pisciotta initially had "no reason to believe she was touched inappropriately or sexually assaulted," and she did not suspect that Ye had drugged her. However, she alleged that years later, Ye mentioned to her that they "hooked up" that evening, leading her to realize she was "in fact drugged and sexually assaulted" by him.
"She could not stomach the fact that she worked for the man who had sexually assaulted her against her will while she was drugged, who then successfully lured her back into his orbit by way of a job opportunity to sexually assault her all over again," the complaint said, adding that Pisciotta feared Ye would retaliate against her if she spoke up.
Ye sued by former employee:John Doe says he was asked to investigate Kim Kardashian, 'tail' Bianca Censori
In another incident alleged to have occurred during a work trip in July 2021, Pisciotta claimed Ye forced his way into her hotel room, saying he needed to use her shower because his wasn't working. Once inside, the rapper allegedly approached Pisciotta, dropped his towel, and "aggressively moved and pushed (Pisciotta) from the chair she was sitting in over to the bed and pushed her down." He then "attempted to forcefully thrust his naked body onto and penis into (Pisciotta's) face" while she pleaded with him to stop, the complaint alleged.
"(Pisciotta) was very clearly unwilling, non-consenting and visually upset at Kanye West a.k.a Ye for the battery, gender violence and sexual assault," the lawsuit said.
Pisciotta also accused Ye of subjecting her to "constant" sexual harassment throughout her employment, despite her making clear she was not interested in him, and provided numerous sexually explicit text messages allegedly sent by the rapper as evidence. Being forced to dodge his "unwanted sexual advances, sexual assault, continuous sexual harassment," and the revelation that Ye allegedly "sexually assaulted her while she was drugged" led Pisciotta to suffer from "severe anxiety, depression and overwhelming PTSD," the lawsuit said. Pisciotta alleged Ye wrongfully terminated her in 2022 in "retaliation for her complaints and refusal to have sex with" him.
This was the latest legal issue for Ye, who last week faced a lawsuit from a former employee who accused him of infliction of emotional distress, labor code violations and retaliation. That lawsuit claimed the former employee was asked to investigate Ye's ex-wife Kim Kardashian and hire private investigators to spy on his spouse Bianca Censori. It additionally alleged that Ye threatened to kill the former employee, identified as John Doe.
"Our client is so fearful of Ye and his erratic, disturbing and unpredictable behavior that he wishes to remain anonymous for his own safety," Doe's attorneys said. "It's not only illegal but unconscionable that an employer would threaten any employee with bodily harm or death."
Contributing: Edward Segarra, USA TODAY
veryGood! (327)
Related
- Tree trimmer dead after getting caught in wood chipper at Florida town hall
- Canada loses its appeal against a points deduction for drone spying in Olympic women’s soccer
- Top Chef's Shirley Chung Shares Stage 4 Tongue Cancer Diagnosis
- An all-electric police fleet? California city replaces all gas-powered police cars.
- Don't let hackers fool you with a 'scam
- When does Simone Biles compete next? Olympics gymnastics schedule for all-around final
- Boar’s Head expands recall to include 7 million more pounds of deli meats tied to listeria outbreak
- Man shot and killed in ambush outside Philadelphia mosque, police say
- Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
- Republican challenge to New York’s mail voting expansion reaches state’s highest court
Ranking
- Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
- Minnesota attorney general seeks to restore state ban on people under 21 carrying guns
- Pennsylvania casinos ask court to force state to tax skill games found in stores equally to slots
- Simone Biles now has more Olympic medals than any other American gymnast ever
- In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
- Missouri to cut income tax rate in 2025, marking fourth straight year of reductions
- American BMX rider Perris Benegas surges to take silver in Paris
- El Chapo’s son pleads not guilty to narcotics, money laundering and firearms charges
Recommendation
John Galliano out at Maison Margiela, capping year of fashion designer musical chairs
2024 Olympics: Simone Biles Reveals USA Gymnastics’ Real Team Name After NSFW Answer
Arizona voters to decide congressional primaries, fate of metro Phoenix election official
Amy Wilson-Hardy, rugby sevens player, faces investigation for alleged racist remarks
Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
Olympics bet against climate change with swimming in Seine and may lose. Scientists say told you so
Wisconsin high school survey shows that students continue to struggle with mental health
The Latest: Project 2025’s director steps down, and Trump says Harris ‘doesn’t like Jewish people’