Kanye “Ye” West has been sued by a former private investigator who claims to have been hired by the rap mega star to look into the Kardashian family and “tail” wife Bianca Censori, according to a lawsuit obtained by TheWrap.
The slew of allegations were made in a lawsuit filed in California’s Superior Court on Monday. The legal document lists West, his company Yeezy LLC and other unnamed plaintiffs. The former employee, who has identified themselves as John Doe, says he was hired by West before the musician prepared for his presidential run.
However, during their time working together, West became so “erratic” that he eventually threatened bodily harm and death to Doe.
“Ye has only himself to blame for his mounting legal woes. He just can’t continue hiring employees, treating them terribly, then refusing to pay them in violation of numerous employment laws, let alone threaten to kill them as he did in this case,” the plaintiff’s’ attorney Ron Zambrano, a partner and Employment Litigation chair at West Coast Employment Lawyers, said in a statement. “Our client is so fearful of Ye and his erratic, disturbing and unpredictable behavior that he wishes to remain anonymous for his own safety. It’s not only illegal but unconscionable that an employer would threaten any employee with bodily harm or death.”
TheWrap has reached out to West’s camp for comment.
The legal document states Doe was taken on by West in December 2022 initially as deputy campaign director, which was later changed to “director of intelligence” after West’s decision to make a bid for the White House. At the time, West gave several assignments, which included “brainstorming ideas to keep Ye in the news,” looking into those who have previously sued West, as well as managing investigations and NDAs. After Doe became a full-time employee, West allegedly tasked him with probing the Kardashians, who he believed had criminal conspiracy enterprises.
In the suit, Doe says West started to show erratic behavior around mid-May after he decided to buy titanium teeth and consume “copious amounts of nitrous oxide.” The document says this led to West becoming so paranoid that he instructed Doe to hire private investigators to follow Censori while she was visiting her family in Australia.
Doe and West’s relationship developed tension after Doe informed West that children were reportedly being abused at West’s private school Donda Academy, per a report Doe received from one of the employees at the Southern California-based institution.
“Almost immediately thereafter on the same day, Ye himself called Doe to yell, curse and threaten Doe with great bodily injury, including death, if Doe repeated what Doe learned from the Donda employee,” the lawsuit states. “‘’You’re f—king dead to me!’” West allegedly told Doe. Ye also played recordings of scary voices that were “threatening to harm” Doe.
In addition to threats over the phone, Doe — who suffers from PTSD and is a military veteran — the complaint states West and his associates sent Doe several threats for weeks. Upon hiring Doe, West was aware of Doe’s mental condition and background, the document notes.
“The stress and trauma caused by the threats, hostile work environment and plaintiff’s exposure to illegal and unethical activities severely impacted his mental and emotional well-being,” the lawsuit goes on. “Plaintiff experienced panic attacks, anxiety and severe emotional distress, which caused him to seek medical treatment and was placed in a facility to address his declining mental health.”
Doe claims West fired him out of retaliation for relaying the child abuse reports to him and refusing to go along with “unethical activities.”
“Ye retaliated against plaintiff through a campaign of threats, intimidation and harassment,” the lawsuit reads. “These retaliatory actions caused plaintiff severe emotional distress and exacerbated his PTSD, resulting in both emotional and financial harm.”
At the end of the 22-page document, Doe requests damages for loss of earnings, deferred compensation, lost wages, unpaid wages and medical expenses. “Doe seeks in excess of seven figures in punitive and compensatory damages, including unpaid wages,” a statement coupled with the lawsuit reads.