Kanye West sued for sexual assault by model Jennifer An
Kanye West allegedly choked a model and subjected her to "pornographic gagging" during a La Roux music video shoot at Manhattan's Chelsea Hotel in 2010, a new lawsuit claims.
Kanye West.
Brad Barket/Getty Images for Fast Company
Jenifer An, the plaintiff, claims in a lawsuit acquired by Rolling Stone that was filed Friday in federal court in New York that she was working as a background character and wearing lingerie for La Roux's "In for the Kill" video when West showed up on set, pointed to her, and said, "Give me the Asian girl." An, a past contestant on America's Next Top Model, claims West was "towering over" her and "breathing heavily" when he commanded the camera crew to close in on her face and produced "his own production" without opposition.
"Defendant West began choking plaintiff with one hand while being captured on camera. The lawsuit claims that he then put his other hand around her neck and strangled her with both hands. "He then rammed several fingers down her throat, continuously moved them in and out, and gagged her."
An says West used his fingers "to emulate forced oral sex" while yelling, "This is art." This is fucking artwork. "I'm like Picasso." The complaint alleges that West attacked An "in a manner similar to pornographic gagging/deep throat/BDSM fetishes."
As she frightened beneath West's "gyrating hand," An claims she looked around the room, seeking for help. She alleges no one assisted her. "The plaintiff battled to breathe and felt as if she had briefly blacked out. "When defendant West decided he was finished with plaintiff, her face was covered in saliva and smeared makeup," according to the lawsuit.
An cites Universal Music Group as a co-defendant in the case, alleging that the firm organized West's intended cameo in the video and then "failed to investigate" or take action. The model accuses West of sexual assault and strangling and is demanding compensation and punitive damages.
The new lawsuit comes after West, also known as Ye, was sued last week by a former Yeezy employee who claims West subjected him to antisemitic tirades and forced him to sit in a hotel suite while West engaged in loud sex in an adjoining room with wife Bianca Censori on one occasion and a masseuse on another. His legal difficulties do not stop there. West has faced a slew of accusations after his antisemitic outbursts on his social media accounts in October 2022 triggered global condemnation and the termination of his lucrative ties with Gap and adidas.
Lauren Pisciotta, his former assistant, filed a lawsuit last June alleging that West sent her sexually graphic texts and masturbated in front of her as part of an ongoing campaign of sexual harassment. Pisciotta amended her case in October, alleging that West drugged and sexually abused her.
An published a statement after filing her case on Friday, saying she believes that speaking up would help create a "safer world" for artists. "Women in the music and entertainment sectors have been subjected to sexual assault for years, with no way to speak up or effect change. This area is harmful for women. We are simply objects in the entertainment industry. The industries have grown by putting us in oppressive power relationships. Survivors of sexual assault have nothing except the ability to set legal precedent. "I hope to hold the abusers accountable through the legal system," An said.
Christine Hintze, Melissa Berouty, and Jesse Weinstein, An's lawyers, complimented her courage. "Everyone's voice is important, and West cannot avoid responsibility because of his success and notoriety," Weinstein said in a statement.
