Celebrity news is always full of twists and turns, and the latest chapter in Kanye West’s legal battles is no different. The music mogul is trying to shut down a lawsuit. It comes from Jenn An, a former contestant on "America’s Next Top Model." She claims West assaulted her on a set back in 2010.
West, 48, filed court papers on August 19. He wants the court to dismiss An’s lawsuit. She first filed it in November 2024, detailing a supposed incident during a music video shoot. An exclusive report from Us Weekly first brought this news to light.
West’s lawyer argued that An’s lawsuit includes unrelated details. It mentions West’s recent "antisemitic messages" on X, where he praised Hitler. It also points to his past comments about sexual assault survivors. West’s legal team calls these details irrelevant. They say the information lacks context. His lawyers believe An included these things to push a specific agenda. They claim she wants to silence West over his controversial public statements.
The rapper’s lawyer also talked about the 2010 video production. He said that the shoot, like many thousands of performances before it, involved physical contact. This contact was between the actors, West and An. The lawyer pointed out that An never spoke against her role during the filming. She didn’t say she didn’t agree to take part. She also didn’t try to leave the set. These points are not in her lawsuit, according to West’s team.
Kanye West Mychal Watts/WireImage
West insists the alleged assault happened in plain sight. It was in front of a film crew and cameras. His legal response claims that allowing such lawsuits to move forward would be dangerous. It could mean every actor, director, and artist could face criminal charges later. This would happen if a performer regrets or changes their mind about a role. He says this is true for provocative film, theater, or music video productions.
West accused An of trying to "punish his creative process" and "censor his art." An was a contestant on Season 13 of Tyra Banks’ former reality show, "America’s Next Top Model," in 2009.
An’s lawsuit paints a very different picture. She says she was hired as a background actress and model. This was for the music video of singer La Roux’s song "In for the Kill." West appeared in the remix and filmed a video for the track in September 2010. An claims West wanted the set to look like the movie "American Psycho."
The lawsuit alleges that West took over directing the video. An says West told her to sit in a chair. She then claims he instructed the cameraman to film. She says West then choked her with one hand. "He then put his other hand around her neck and continued to choke her with both hands," the lawsuit claims. "West covered An’s face with both hands, which smeared her makeup."
Kanye West Theo Wargo/WireImage
An’s account gets even more intense. She says West then put several fingers into her throat. He moved them in and out for what she believes was over a minute. This, she says, was to imitate forced oral sex. During this, he reportedly yelled, "This is art. This is f***ing art. I’m like Picasso." An’s lawsuit also mentions a third person on set. This person did not stop the alleged assault. Instead, they reportedly cheered, "Yeah, An!" as if watching a sports event.
The lawsuit claims West’s actions copied sexual assault scenes from "American Psycho." It also says they were like scenes from fetish porn films. An remembers trying to move her tongue away from West’s moving hand. She began to panic. She looked around the set for someone to step in and help. There was a room full of people, but no one did. An says she had trouble breathing and felt she temporarily passed out. When West finished, her face was covered in saliva and smeared makeup. She states she left the set afterward.
An’s lawsuit maintains that she still suffers trauma. She says the alleged assault has hurt her career. She is seeking an unspecified amount of money for her emotional pain and suffering.
This legal showdown remains a complex situation. Both sides are digging in their heels, making for a truly dramatic chapter in the world of entertainment news.