Music video model details alleged assault by Kanye West: ‘I was frozen’

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The complainant also noted that she got the job after attending a casting call. While the shoot was underway at the Chelsea Hotel in New York, the crew suddenly began running helter-skelter, shouting, “Kanye’s coming, Kanye’s coming.” They immediately “lined up” the models in the hallway, and once the rapper walked in, he “chose three girls to be in the scene with him,” one of whom was the aforementioned complainant.

The traumatic on-set incident

In no time, the atmosphere tensed up. She alleged that he choked her and smeared make-up all over her face. Although many people were on set while all this was happening, she said no one intervened.

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She also recalled Kanye saying something along the lines of “This is art, I’m Picasso.” The survivor further noted that she couldn’t resist his assault as she had gone completely numb. “I didn’t know what I was doing… I was more frozen, it’s like ‘I could lose my job’,” she said.

Revealing that she informed La Roux’s alias, Elly Jackson, about the incident shortly after, the survivor said she apologised for what had happened. “And then I was like, ‘You’re not gonna air that, right? Like, you’re not gonna share that with anyone, because I can’t have my mum see that.’ And she (Elly) was like, ‘No, of course not, I would never,'” the survivor recalled.

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Kanye West’s legal team responds, moves to dismiss case

The case has not yet gone to trial, yet Kanye’s lawyers filed a motion to dismiss it earlier this year. While his lawyers do not deny the incident, they claimed that it was part of an “intense and provocative theatrical performance,” an apparent attempt to recreate a scene from the film American Psycho (2000).

According to a 2024 NBC report, the survivor has filed her lawsuit in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. Alleging that Kanye arrived on set and “took control of the production and the production team” out of the blue, the lawsuit claims that at one point he even said, “Give me the Asian girl,” pointing to the plaintiff.

Disclaimer: This article reports on ongoing legal proceedings involving allegations of sexual assault, misconduct, and traumatic experiences. These claims are based on court filings and public statements, and the case has not yet been resolved in a court of law. Content regarding assault and psychological distress can be deeply sensitive; readers are advised to approach this material with care. If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault or abuse, confidential support is available through national healthcare networks and localized crisis support lines.