Los Angeles, California – A legal representative for Kanye West has responded to a lawsuit filed against the rapper by his ex-assistant, alleging sexual harassment and a hostile work environment. The lawsuit, filed earlier this week, claims that West’s former personal assistant, Lauren Pisciotta, was subjected to explicit texts, pornographic photos, videos, and phone calls before being fired in 2022. Pisciotta is seeking compensation for wrongful termination and breach of contract.
In response, West is accusing his ex-assistant of “blackmail and extortion,” stating that she was terminated for being unqualified and demanding unreasonable sums of money, including a $4 million annual salary. His representative claims that Pisciotta leveraged her association with West to seek material gains through inappropriate means.
Pisciotta, who also worked as an executive for West’s companies, alleged that after a year of working as his assistant, West began sending her vulgar messages, explicit descriptions of sexual acts he wanted to engage in, and explicit photos and videos. She also claimed that West masturbated during phone conversations, asked inappropriate questions, and once trapped her in a private room on his plane.
Despite being promoted to Chief of Staff with a $4 million salary, Pisciotta claims she was wrongfully fired a month later and never received her promised severance pay. She is suing West and his Yeezy businesses for fraud, unpaid wages, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, according to the court complaint.
West’s representative has stated that the rapper is filing his own lawsuit against Pisciotta for making baseless allegations and demanding $50 million. Pisciotta has not responded to requests for comment, and neither has her attorney. West has not filed a lawsuit against Pisciotta at this time.