Kanye West sued by model Jenifer An for sexual assault
Kanye West is being accused of sexual assault by a model he previously worked with, and the details of the alleged incident are horrifying.
West is no stranger to legal action. In the past, he has been accused of unlawfully using samples in his music and has gotten involved in several altercations with paparazzi. He has taken anger management sessions and done community service, but it appears to have done little to quell his temper. Earlier this year, a former assistant accused West of sexual harassment and wrongful termination. Disappointingly, West’s scandalous record contains even more than these instances.
Now, the rapper is being accused of a sexual assault that occurred in 2010. Here’s everything we know about the case.
Model Jenifer An accuses Kanye West of sexual assault
In 2010, Jennifer An (also known as Jenn An) worked as a background actor for Kanye West and La Roux’s 2010 music video for “In For The Kill.” The music video was filmed at Manhattan’s Chelsea Hotel. Within the first few hours of shooting, West took control of the production and the production team.
Trigger warning: describes assault.
According to the lawsuit, West reportedly requested all female actors and models line up in the hallway to evaluate their appearance. He soon pointed at An and said, “Give me the Asian girl.” Dressed in “revealing lingerie,” An did as West instructed and followed the rapper to a suite. An claims he then forced her onto a chair and instructed the cameraman to focus on her.
Towering over her, the lawsuit claims West began to choke An with one hand before he wrapped his other hand around her neck, strangling her. After that, he allegedly shoved his fingers down her throat.
During the incident, West allegedly screamed, “This is art. This is f*cking art. I am like Picasso.” The lawsuit describes West’s assault as “similar to pornographic gagging/deep throat/BDSM fetishes.”
An struggled to breathe and claims to have temporarily lost consciousness during the assault. When West was done, the lawsuit states her “face was covered in saliva and make-up.”
The scene never made it into the music video. The lawsuit also targets Universal Music Group, as An alleges they never investigated the incident properly. West is being sued for sexual assault and strangulation, with the model seeking compensatory and punitive damages.
An first gained fame for ranking third in cycle 13 of America’s Next Top Model. In a statement, An talked about how women have been harmed by sexual abuse and assault in the music industry for decades, with little to no change. She added, “This space is a dangerous place for women. We are essentially objects in the entertainment world. The industries have thrived on placing us in abusive power dynamics.” She hopes the lawsuit will help create “a safer world for us and for and for future artists.”
West and Universal Music Group have not responded to the allegations. In the past, West has denied such allegations. Does his silence speak volumes?
Have a tip we should know? tips@themarysue.com
