New lawsuit alleges West drugged and assaulted ex-assistant during Combs studio session: What we know

Kanye West, now known as Ye, is facing new allegations from his former assistant, Lauren Pisciotta, who previously sued him in June for sexual harassment and wrongful termination.

In an amended complaint filed on Oct. 8 and obtained by multiple media outlets, Pisciotta, who worked for West from 2021 to 2022, alleges the rapper drugged and sexually assaulted her during a studio session co-hosted by Sean “Diddy” Combs. Combs, who faces separate charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, is named in Pisciotta’s complaint but is not accused of wrongdoing in her case.

West’s representatives did not respond to Yahoo Entertainment’s requests for comment.

These latest allegations add to a growing list of legal issues the rapper has faced in recent years. Here’s what we know so far about the new allegations — and a summary of some of the other lawsuits the rapper is currently facing.

👀 The latest accusations

According to the amended lawsuit filed in Los Angeles, Pisciotta claims that she and her former artist management client, who is not named in the lawsuit, were invited to a studio session hosted by West and Combs in Santa Monica, California.

The complaint does not specify when exactly this alleged meeting took place. During the session, Pisciotta claims that “her and other attendees were served drinks” and it was announced that “everyone had to drink if they wanted to stay,” according to the complaint.

After drinking, Pisciotta claims in the complaint that she “suddenly began to become disoriented” and felt “less in control of her body and speech.” She woke up the next morning with little memory of what had happened, “feeling physically ill and confused.”

For years, Pisciotta thought she was drugged and embarrassed herself at a work event. Years later, however, the lawsuit alleges that West brought it up that night and admitted they “had a little bit of contact” that night.

Pisciotta claims that their conversation led her to realize that she had been sexually assaulted by West while she was incapacitated during the studio session that night. She decided to stop working for the rapper, but according to the complaint, she had to be “extremely cautious” in her approach for fear that West and others in the music industry would silence her, blacklist her and retaliate . Pisciotta was reportedly fired shortly afterwards.

The former assistant did not accuse Combs of any wrongdoing in the complaint, although he now faces unrelated charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering.

🧑‍⚖️ The previous lawsuit

In Pisciotta’s first lawsuit, she alleged that West hired her as an executive assistant in July 2021 with a promised salary of $1 million, requiring her to be on call 24/7. Pisciotta had previously worked on the rapper’s Yeezy Season 1 women’s fashion line, in 2015, and on his 2021 album Donda.

The year before West hired her, Pisciotta claimed she had made $1 million creating content on OnlyFans and social media posts, which West supported. However, in August 2022, he allegedly asked her to delete the account in exchange for $1 million – a promise that Pisciotta says she never kept.

Pisciotta claimed that West promoted her to his chief of staff in September 2022, with an offer of a $3 million bonus. She was fired the following month and claims she was never paid.

She is now suing for sexual harassment, breach of contract, wrongful dismissal and creating a hostile work environment, and is seeking at least $4 million in damages.

📲 Vulgar texts and intimate photos

Pisciotta’s lawsuit alleges that West sent vulgar texts, including explicit sexual fantasies, as well as intimate photos of other male and female Yeezy employees.

“You see, my problem is that I want to fuck, but after I fuck, I want a girl to tell me how hard she got fucked while I’m fucking them. Then I want her to cheat on me,” Page Six said in one of the alleged messages.

Pisciotta further claims that West sent her snapshots and videos of him having sex with models and masturbating during phone calls with her and on a flight to Paris, according to Rolling Stone. Pisciotta also accuses West of having an “obsession” with her, allegedly entering her building and stalking her after her firing. She also said he became angry when she rejected his advances to date or have sex.

❌ West calls the accusations ‘unfounded’

While West has not yet publicly responded to Pisciotta’s amended complaint, his attorneys have previously labeled her initial allegations as “baseless.” They told Page Six in June that the model “sexually pursued” West to extort employment and other material benefits.

His lawyers further alleged that Pisciotta blackmailed the rapper when “her advances were rebuffed” and accused her of stealing his phone to “destroy phone records that would contradict her claims.”

“Such conduct is completely inconsistent with anyone who claims to have been sexually harassed or experienced a hostile work environment,” West’s attorneys told the Los Angeles Times. “It is clear that Ms. Pisciotta used her association with Ye and his company, and her proximity to him, to seek material gain, influence and employment through improper means.”

The statement added: “Her first attempt at a wrongful termination lawsuit received no media attention, prompting her to fabricate headlines following threats of blackmail and extortion.”

⚖️ A summary of West’s other legal problems

West’s legal team has been busy handling a series of lawsuits in recent years. They include:

• April 2024: Benjamin Deshon Pravo, a security guard at Donda Academy, an unaccredited private Christian school founded by West in 2022, sued for racial discrimination, claiming the rapper favored white employees and fired him for refusing to cut his dreadlocks . That same month, Trevor Phillips, a former Donda Academy and Yeezy employee, sued West for alleged discriminatory and anti-Semitic behavior.

• February 2024: West claimed that Adidas sued him for $250 million, although no public lawsuit surfaced. Adidas filed a private arbitration case over his public insulting statements, claiming their partnership had been breached.

• September 2023: Tony Saxon, a former caretaker and security guard at the West Malibu mansion, sued for $1 million over dangerous working conditions and unpaid wages.

• June 2023: Paparazzo Nichol Lechmanik sued West for throwing her phone into traffic, claiming assault, battery and negligence.

• May 2023: Gap Inc. sued West for $2 million over the termination of their Yeezy partnership, accusing West of breaching contractual obligations.

• April 2023: Teachers Cecilia Hailey and Chekarey Byers have sued Donda Academy for health, safety and education violations. They alleged the school had failed to provide essential services and adhere to state regulations. A third teacher, Timanii Meeks, later joined the lawsuit.

Read more: An overview of the many lawsuits West is facing.