Lauren Pisciotta, West’s former assistant, accused the artist of drugging and sexually assaulting her at a Sean Combs studio session
Kanye West settled a lawsuit filed by Lauren Pisciotta, who worked as his assistant from 2021 to 2023.
Scott Dudelson/Getty Images
Kanye West has reached a settlement with his former assistant, Lauren Pisciotta, who accused the artist of sexual assault, sex trafficking, and wrongful termination.
The settlement was reached on July 23, according to court documents obtained by USA Today, and Pisciotta must now file a dismissal request within 45 days. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed. When addressing the settlement, Pisciotta’s attorney, Arick Fudali, told the publication, “The matter has been resolved.”
A representative for West did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In June 2024, Pisciotta — who worked for West from 2021 to 2023 — sued the rapper, claiming sexual harassment, breach of contract, and wrongful termination. In a previous statement to Rolling Stone, West’s legal representative called Pisciotta’s allegations “baseless” and accused her of engaging in “blackmail and extortion” after he rejected her sexual advances.
“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,” the statement sent by West’s publicist claimed.
Over a year after the initial lawsuit, Pisciotta filed an amended lawsuit that included new accusations against West, also known as Ye, of stalking, sexual battery, sex trafficking, and false imprisonment. “Ye subjected Ms. Pisciotta to obscene comments about her body, demanded she wear tight fitting clothing, groped her on a regular basis, forced her to watch Ye perform sexual acts with other women, sent her sexually explicit pictures and demanded she do the same, and repeatedly demanded that she join his sexual encounters, which she refused,” the lawsuit obtained by Page Six claimed.
Pisciotta also claimed that “on one occasion, Ye attempted to vaginally penetrate Ms. Pisciotta with his fingers” and that West “orally raped her without her consent.” In another amendment four months after the initial filing, Pisciotta added an allegation that West drugged and sexually assaulted her at a Sean Combs studio session.
Ever since West went on an antisemitic tirade in fall 2022, the artist has faced a wave of lawsuits filed by people who worked with him from ex-Yeezy employees, teachers at his failed Donda Academy, and musicians claiming sampling disputes. In March, West was found liable by a jury Wednesday after a man said he was seriously injured during the controversial gutting of the rapper’s $57 million Malibu mansion in 2021.
From Rolling Stone US.