Kanye West has been sued by a woman who claims that he sexually assaulted her during a music video shoot in 2010. The woman, a model named Jenifer “Jenn” An, filed her lawsuit today (November 22) in a New York federal court. She is suing West and co-defendants Universal Music Group and Stink Digital USA LLC for violating New York’s Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act.
In her complaint, An, a former contestant on America’s Next Top Model, says she was cast in the music video for La Roux and Kanye West’s “In for the Kill” remix, filmed at New York’s Chelsea Hotel in September 2010. She says West selected her from a group of female actors and models, choosing to film a scene with her because she’s Asian.
After singling An out, according to the complaint, West demanded the film crew focus a camera on her face and his hands as he allegedly choked her, “smothered [her] face with both of his hands,” “rammed several fingers down her throat, continuously moved them in and out, and gagged her (which [An] believed lasted for over a minute) to emulate forced oral sex, and screamed, ‘This is art. This is fucking art. I am like Picasso.’” An claims that she “struggled to breathe and felt as if she had temporarily blacked out” during the alleged assault.
In the lawsuit, An blames Universal Music Group for failing “to implement or enforce a code of conduct.” She also claims the label “knew or should have known that [West] was capable of sexually assaulting [her], given his publicly documented history of misogynistic behavior, but unreasonably failed to stop his conduct.”
When reached by Pitchfork, Jesse S. Weinstein, an attorney for An, stated, “We are honored and privileged to represent Ms. An, who has displayed great courage to speak out against some of the most powerful men and entities within the entertainment industry. Everyone’s voice is important, and West cannot escape liability because of his success and notoriety.”
West was recently sued by a former assistant for alleged sexual battery. The rapper has not publicly acknowledged the woman’s allegations or lawsuit.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, we encourage you to reach out for support:
RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline
https://www.rainn.org
1 800 656 HOPE (4673)
Crisis Text Line
SMS: Text “HELLO” or “HOLA” to 741-741