Kanye West accused of harassing Jewish employee at Yeezy and referencing Hitler in lawsuit

Kanye West is facing a lawsuit from a former employee of his Yeezy brand, who alleges that the rapper engaged in antisemitic abuse, workplace harassment and wrongful termination.

The lawsuit, filed under the pseudonym Jane Doe, accuses West of repeatedly referring to himself as a Nazi and targeting her due to her Jewish heritage.


She is seeking damages to be determined by a jury trial.

The 33-page complaint outlines 12 legal claims against West, including discrimination, harassment and whistleblower retaliation, reported Rolling Stone.

According to the lawsuit, the situation escalated in June 2024 when West allegedly sent Doe a series of hostile messages, insulting her appearance, taunting her and even saying “Come ‘destroy me.’ Hail Hitler.” She was dismissed the following day after forwarding the messages to her manager.

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Toxic workplace

Doe, a marketing specialist, joined West’s team in December 2023, shortly after the rapper publicly apologised for making antisemitic remarks in 2022. But the lawsuit claims this apology was insincere, stating that West soon resumed his offensive behaviour.

According to the Rolling Stone report, the lawsuit states, “Unable to control his prejudice, (West) rewarded Plaintiff with the same antisemitic vitriol he recently condemned to the public. (West) carried out a calculated campaign to threaten and psychologically torment Jewish people around him, specifically Plaintiff.”

Public controversies

West’s alleged misconduct extended beyond his private work environment. The lawsuit follows a series of public controversies, including his appearance at the Grammy Awards with his wife Bianca Censori in a revealing outfit and an erratic social media spree that led to his X (formerly Twitter) account being deactivated. During this time, West reportedly referred to himself as a Nazi and even sold swastika-themed merchandise.

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Series of accusations

This lawsuit is the latest in a series of accusations against West, who has faced criticism for creating a toxic work environment. In 2022, many former Yeezy employees reported a toxic environment where terminations were arbitrary and unpredictable.

Doe’s lawsuit states that West uses his fame and influence to intimidate and silence those who oppose him.

“(West) is a bully with tens of millions of followers on social media,” the lawsuit states, adding, “He uses his social media platforms to bully anyone who disagrees with him, spew hate speech only to disingenuously apologise for it repeatedly when he wants to promote his music, concerts or merchandise.”

FAQs

1. What are the key allegations in the lawsuit against Kanye West?
The lawsuit accuses Kanye West of antisemitic harassment, workplace abuse and wrongful termination. It alleges that he targeted the plaintiff for being Jewish, sent degrading messages and created a hostile work environment.


2. Has Kanye West responded to the allegations?
As of now, Kanye West has not publicly commented on the lawsuit. His representatives have also not issued any official statements regarding the claims.