A legal representative for Kanye West has issued a response following a lawsuit filed against him by his former personal assistant, Lauren Pisciotta. The lawsuit alleges that West created a hostile work environment and engaged in sexual harassment.
Pisciotta, who also served as an executive for some of West’s companies, claims she was subjected to explicit texts, pornographic photos, videos, and phone calls before being wrongfully terminated in 2022. She is seeking compensation for her employment period and breach of contract.
West, 46, has accused Pisciotta of “blackmail and extortion,” alleging she made “baseless allegations” and demanded $50 million in a recent “frivolous” lawsuit. Although court records do not yet show that West has filed a counter-lawsuit, his representative claims he intends to do so.
According to West’s legal team, Pisciotta was fired for being unqualified and demanding excessive sums of money, including a $4 million annual salary. They also accuse her of stealing West’s phone to destroy records and using sexual coercion to demand money and luxury items, such as Hermes Birkin bags, a Lamborghini, and plastic surgery.
The statement from West’s representative argues that Pisciotta’s actions are inconsistent with someone claiming sexual harassment or a hostile work environment. They suggest she exploited her proximity to West for personal gain.
In her lawsuit, Pisciotta states she was hired in July 2021 to work on West’s Yeezy women’s fashion line and collaborated on three songs for his Donda album. She was later promoted to his personal assistant with a $1 million salary, contingent on being available 24/7.
Pisciotta, who also worked as an Instagram and OnlyFans model, claims that West initially asked her to delete her OnlyFans account, promising an additional $1 million to compensate for the lost income. After agreeing, Pisciotta alleges West began sending explicit messages and engaging in inappropriate behavior, including masturbating during phone calls and making vulgar comments.
She describes one incident where West allegedly trapped her in a private room on his plane and pleasured himself in front of her. Despite being promoted to Chief of Staff of West’s companies in September 2022 with a $4 million salary, Pisciotta claims she was fired a month later and never received a promised $3 million severance pay.
Pisciotta is suing West and his Yeezy businesses for wrongful termination, fraud, unpaid wages, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
