Kanye West countersues former assistant over ‘baseless’ sexual harassment allegations

American rapper Kanye West, now legally known as Ye, is being sued by his former Yeezy assistant, Lauren Pisciotta, for sexual harassment and wrongful termination. West has responded with a countersuit, vehemently denying these allegations and accusing Pisciotta of ulterior motives.

According to TMZ, Pisciotta’s lawsuit stated that she was hired in July 2021, with a substantial starting salary of $1 million, contingent on her availability to West at all times. She also claimed that West offered her an additional $1 million to delete her OnlyFans account, urging her to be more “god-like”, a promise she alleged he never fulfilled.

Pisciotta’s suit alleged several disturbing incidents, including inappropriate text messages from West, instances of West masturbating while on the phone with her, and an episode where she was allegedly locked in a room with him while he engaged in the act.

Pisciotta further alleged that despite her promotions, including one to chief of staff with a $4 million salary by September 2022, she was terminated a month later. She claimed she was offered a severance package of $3 million, which she never received.

In a statement to Page Six through his lawyers, West fiercely denied the allegations, describing them as “baseless”. He accused Pisciotta of attempting to pursue him sexually to gain employment and other benefits, and then resorting to blackmail when he rejected her advances.

“In response to these baseless allegations, Ye will be filing a lawsuit against Ms. Pisciotta,” the statement read. The lawyers alleged that Pisciotta, before her termination, stole West’s cell phone to destroy phone records that would refute her claims. However, they further claimed that the records had been preserved.

West’s legal team described Pisciotta’s conduct as “unqualified, demanding unreasonable sums of money (including a $4 million annual salary)” and claimed they had “numerous documented incidents of her lascivious, unhinged conduct”.

They claimed she offered West sexual favours on his birthday, sent unsolicited nude images and sexual narratives, and was seen twerking in the office during business hours. Additionally, Pisciotta allegedly boasted about explicit encounters with a soccer player while texting her boss.

West’s attorneys further contended that Pisciotta attempted to coerce him into paying for her luxury items, including Hermès Birkin bags, a Lamborghini, and plastic surgery. They noted that her blackmail demands escalated from $60 million last year to $50 million in her recent filing.

West’s team argued that Pisciotta’s behaviour was inconsistent with someone who had experienced sexual harassment or a hostile work environment, accusing her of using her position at Yeezy to seek material gains and clout.