Kanye admits he punched autograph seeker in West Hollywood
Kanye West has admitted he punched an autograph seeker who was allegedly egging him out of a West Hollywood club earlier this week as the rapper is under investigation for assault.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, West, 44, said he was outside the Soho Warehouse at 3 a.m. Thursday when he was allegedly provoked by a man who had been following him for the past few days looking for autographs.
"I'm saying, 'You don't know what I'm dealing with right now,'" West said, referring to footage of him punching the unidentified man.
"I just finished these two songs, I came from the studio, and this guy, he just had this real attitude, like, 'What are you going to do? And do you see that?
'I'm just telling you that blue COVID mask won't stop that knockout, you know what I'm saying?'
He added that at the time he was upset with his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, who filed for divorce and is now dating Pete Davidson, and with a cousin who didn't tell Kardashian he wanted to visit one of his children at school.
‘Security will not come between me and my children. And my kids are not going to be on TikTok without my permission,” Kanye said as he reiterated his message to Kardashian.
He also mentioned that he was upset about his budding romance with Davidson.
'How are you going to blame me for misbehaving and kissing the guy you're dating right in front of me? Everybody's like, 'That's cool,' and I hear the new boyfriend is at the house that I can't even go to.
Kanye West spoke to Entertainment Tonight to discuss Thursday's incident in which he admitted he punched an autograph hunter who allegedly provoked him.
Kanye West was seen yelling at a cousin (left) after allegedly punching a fan three times and knocking him down on Thursday morning.
The fan (in the background) had been photographed following West around West Hollywood on Thursday as the rapper was out with his new girlfriend, Julia Fox.
West claims that the man he punched was not a fan of his, but someone trying to make money by selling autographs he got from the rapper on January 10.
'This is the same as the paparazzi, this is not a fan. It's someone who's using your image, who probably never heard your songs.'
Dramatic footage from the aftermath of the incident shows West yelling, "Get away from me" at his cousin, who was trying to calm him down as the autograph seeker lies on the ground, clutching his head in pain.
Witnesses told TMZ that West hit the man twice in the head and once in the neck, knocking him down and causing the fan to slam his head against the sidewalk.
He could be heard his cousin telling the rapper, 'I'm your family,' as he tried to hold his hand and make him relax.
'No, get away from me! No hands, no hands,” West yells.
"You were supposed to talk to her," he adds, now revealing that he was angry at her cousin for not telling her estranged wife that he wanted to visit her son at school.
West accused the man of following him and selling autographs for money. West was photographed giving the man an autograph on January 10.
Ultimately, he blamed his cousin for his sulky mood that caused him to explode in anger after the altercation, which was caught on video by confused bystanders.
He said he eventually admitted to the attack because he was tired of the media's portrayal of the incident and wanted to take control of the narrative.
This is from the horse's mouth. I've told everyone before, you guys are in no position to be in charge of my narrative," West told Entertainment Tonight's Jason Lee.
'I told you before, I'm taking my narrative. I am writing my narrative. Why don't you all go do something, you know what I mean, other than try to take someone down?
The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the case and has not yet made any arrests, but has named West as a suspect.
Earlier on the night of the incident, West had gone out with his alleged new girlfriend Julia Fox at Delilah in West Hollywood for a star-studded dinner after spending the night with Madonna and Floyd Mayweather.
The group seemed to be in high spirits after Diana Ross' son Evan Ross shared a video of them on Instagram.
Kanye West and Julia Fox (left) were seen at Delilah nightclub in West Hollywood with Madonna and Floyd Mayweather (right) earlier in the night before the alleged altercation.
While it was previously reported that West's new romance has gotten under his ex-wife Kim Kardashian's skin, sources said he is happy to see the Donda artist smile again.
West is no stranger to run-ins with the law. In 2014, he was arrested for assaulting a photographer at Los Angeles International Airport.
He was sentenced to 250 hours of community service, two years of probation and 24 anger management sessions.
He was also arrested in 2008 for vandalism and assault for an altercation with two photographers at the same airport. The case was dismissed after he paid for one of the photographer's broken equipment and agreed to attend anger management counseling.
