Kanye West is suing a woman who claims he sexually assaulted her while filming a music video in 2010. The woman, a model named Jenifer “Jenn” An, filed her lawsuit today (Nov. 22) in federal court in New York. He sued West and co-defendants Universal Music Group and Stink Digital USA LLC for violating New York's Gender-Based Violence Protection Act.
In her complaint, Ann, a former contestant on America's Next Top Modelsays she was cast in the music video for La Roux and Kanye West's “In for the Kill” remix, filmed at the Chelsea Hotel in New York in September 2010. She says West chose her from a group of female actors and models, choosing to shoot a scene with her because she is Asian.
After he singled Ann out, according to the complaint, West asked the film crew to focus a camera on her face and his hands as he allegedly choked her, “choked [her] face with both his hands,” “struck several fingers at her throat, moved them in and out continually, and gagged her (which [An] believed to have lasted for more than a minute) to mimic forced oral sex and shouted: “This is art. This is fucking art. I'm like Picasso.” An claims she “struggled to breathe and felt like she was temporarily blacking out” during the alleged attack.
In the lawsuit, An accuses Universal Music Group of failing to “implement or enforce a code of conduct.” It also claims that the label “knew or should have known [West] was capable of sexually assaulting [her]given his publicly documented history of misogynistic behavior, but unreasonably failed to stop his behavior.”
When reached by Pitchfork, Jesse S. Weinstein, An's attorney, said, “It is an honor and a privilege to represent Ms. An, who has shown great courage in speaking out against some of the most powerful men and entities in the entertainment industry. Everyone's voice is important and West cannot avoid responsibility because of his success and reputation.”
West was recently sued by a former assistant for alleged sexual assault. The rapper has not publicly acknowledged the allegations or the woman's lawsuit.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, we encourage you to reach out for support:
National Sexual Assault Helpline RAINN
https://www.rainn.org
1 800 656 HOPE (4673)
Crisis text line
SMS: Text “HELLO” or “HOLA” to 741-741
