Kanye West's Former Assistant Accuses Him of Drugging and S--ual Assault in Lawsuit
Kanye West's former assistant, Lauren Pisciotta, has filed a lawsuit against him, alleging that he drugged and s--ually assaulted her during a studio session co-hosted with Sean "Diddy" Combs. The lawsuit, detailed in an amended complaint obtained by PEOPLE, claims that West committed "s--ual battery" after giving Pisciotta a drink laced with an unknown substance.
Pisciotta's current allegations expand upon a previous wrongful termination lawsuit, in which she claimed to have received explicit messages, pornographic images, videos, and phone calls from West before her firing. She worked with West from July 2021 to 2022, assisting with his Yeezy women's fashion line and collaborating on his 2021 album, *Donda*. A legal representative for West previously denied Pisciotta's claims, stating that "Ye will be filing a lawsuit against Ms. Pisciotta."
In the amended complaint, filed on October 8 in Los Angeles County Court, Pisciotta alleges that prior to her employment, West invited her to a studio session in Santa Monica, California, where attendees were required to drink to remain at the event. The lawsuit claims that West and Combs co-hosted the session, and although Combs is mentioned in the complaint, Pisciotta does not accuse him of any wrongdoing.
According to the filing, a drink served to Pisciotta—allegedly at West's request—was "laced with an unidentifiable drug," causing her to feel disoriented after just "a few small sips."
"As the plaintiff began to slip into an altered and heavily impaired state, she felt less in control of her body and speech, and that is where her memories of that night escape her," the complaint states.
Pisciotta claims that she woke up the next day "feeling physically ill and confused," experiencing "immense shame and embarrassment" for being unable to recall events after consuming the drink at the studio.
For years, Pisciotta believed she had been drugged and humiliated at a work event. It wasn't until West hired her as an assistant, Chief of Staff, and A&R representative that he first mentioned that night, saying they had "kind of hooked up a little one time." When Pisciotta expressed that she had no memory of the studio session, West allegedly laughed, remarking, "Women love to say they don't remember," according to the complaint.
"Up until that very moment, right before that conversation, the plaintiff was unaware that she had been subjected to gender violence and s--ual battery that night by KANYE WEST a.k.a YE," the document reads. The amended complaint details that Pisciotta felt "overcome with immense shame, discomfort, and utter disgust."
Additionally, Pisciotta alleges that during an "album workshop" at the St. Regis Hotel in San Francisco in July 2021, West "aggressively pounded" on her hotel room door at 6 a.m., forced his way in, and claimed he needed to shower because his was out of order. She further alleges that West then approached her, "dropped his towel," and attempted to "forcefully thrust his naked body onto and penis into [her] face," ignoring her pleas to stop. According to the complaint, West quickly left after saying "sorry" and continued his day as if nothing had happened.
The complaint also claims that Pisciotta, who alleges she received lewd messages from West, was fired from her Chief of Staff position just a month after her promotion in September 2022. She stated she "could not stomach the fact that she worked for the man who had s--ually assaulted her while she was drugged, who then successfully lured her back into his orbit through a job opportunity to repeat the assault."
West is facing additional legal troubles, including a separate lawsuit filed in April 2024 by a former employee alleging "severe discrimination [and] harassment" while working for Yeezy and at his Donda Academy school. Furthermore, another former staff member has recently filed a lawsuit claiming emotional distress, retaliation, and labor code violations.
