In a bombshell lawsuit, a former Kanye West staffer has accused the rapper of some disturbing behavior during his employment. In court documents, the anonymous plaintiff, “John Doe,” alleges that West tasked him with investigating the Kardashian family and secretly monitoring his wife, Bianca Censori.
According to the 22-page complaint filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, West hired Doe to be the “Director of Intelligence” for his Yeezy brand in late 2022. However, Doe claims his role quickly shifted from typical business operations to more unethical and even illegal activities in West’s direction.
Doe alleges that as West was gearing up for another potential presidential run, the rapper instructed him “to have Doe hire private investigators to follow and ‘tail’ his wife, Bianca Censori, when she was traveling alone to visit family in Australia, without Ms. Censori’s knowledge.” The lawsuit states this was a “particularly notable task” West gave to Doe.
But that wasn’t all. Doe also claims West asked him to investigate “the Kardashian family and supposed various criminal links Ye believed they had with criminal enterprises, including alleged sex trafficking.”
This request appears to stem from West’s long-running feud with his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, and her family. Over the years, the rapper has frequently made unsubstantiated claims about the Kardashians, and this lawsuit suggests he was willing to use his power and resources to try to dig up dirt on them.
Doe, who is a military veteran who has PTSD, says he was deeply uncomfortable with these instructions. “The stress and trauma caused by the threats, hostile work environment, and [Doe’s] exposure to illegal and unethical activities severely impacted his mental and emotional well-being,” the lawsuit states.
The situation allegedly came to a head in May 2023 when Doe claimed he received a call from a teacher at West’s Donda Academy, a private school, about safety concerns and potential student abuse. Doe says he informed Yeezy leadership about this and “almost immediately” received a threatening call from West himself.
According to the complaint, West “called Doe to yell, curse, and threaten Doe with great bodily injury, including death, if Doe repeated what Doe learned from the Donda employee.” West allegedly played “scary voices” that threatened harm against Doe and declared, “You’re f—ing dead to me!”
In the following days, Doe claims he was further threatened by West’s “enforcers,” triggering his PTSD. The lawsuit states Doe “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 is now suing West and his companies for emotional distress, retaliation, and labor code violations. He is seeking over $1 million in damages and compensation for unpaid wages. His attorney, Ronald Zambrano, says his client “is so fearful of Ye and his erratic, disturbing, and unpredictable behavior that he wishes to remain anonymous for his safety.”
This lawsuit is just the latest legal headache for the embattled rapper. West has faced many lawsuits from former employees, his Donda Academy school teachers, and even his ex-assistant. The musician recently changed his legal name to “Ye” and seems embroiled in controversy after another.
Whether the allegations in this new complaint hold up in court remains to be seen. But the picture it paints of West – a paranoid, temperamental boss willing to use his power to investigate and intimidate those around him – is undoubtedly disturbing. As Doe’s attorney said, “He just can’t continue hiring employees, treating them terribly, then refusing to pay them.”
This latest lawsuit will only add to West’s mounting legal troubles. One thing is clear: the rapper’s erratic behavior appears to have real consequences for those in his orbit. And this former employee is now seeking justice through the legal system.