Ye sued by ex-employee for 'antisemitic tirades' that created a hostile workplace
Ye, the rapper and entrepreneur formerly known as Kanye West, has been sued by another former employee.
In a Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit obtained by Paste BN on Friday, Murphy Aficionado accuses Ye of creating a hostile work environment, alleging discrimination, retaliation, labor code violations, unpaid wages and wrongful termination. Ye's company, Yeezy, and his reportedly shuttered private school Donda Academy were also listed as defendants in the case.
Aficionado alleges Ye's "antisemitic tirades and conspiracies were a daily occurrence" in the workplace and claims the rapper retaliated against him for refusing to begin construction on Donda Academy due to lack of permits.
William Reed, one of Aficionado's attorneys, said in a statement to Paste BN, "In line with what the public has grown to expect from Ye (f/k/a Kanye West), as shown by this lawsuit, his vitriol, hate, and antisemitism continues, as does his complete and utter disrespect for the women around him.
"By filing this lawsuit, we aim to vindicate our client's rights and force Ye to learn that this conduct has no place our society. We very much look forward to Mr. Aficionado's day in Court."
Paste BN has reached out to representatives for Ye for comment.
Ex-employee claims Ye said antisemitic remarks about Jewish people controlling Kim Kardashian
Aficionado says he was a project manager working on Ye's various construction projects for around nine months, beginning on Oct. 26, 2022. He alleges he was not paid during that time despite being promised a salary of $125 per hour.
Some of the incidents that Aficionado alleged took place during his employment included Ye wearing a shirt with a swastika. He is alleged to have asked, "Don’t you like my shirt?" and making disparaging remarks about Jewish people having command over his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian — statements that reflect popular antisemitic talking points about Jewish people controlling the entertainment and media industries.
He also claims the musician insisted he sit in a hotel room and listen to him engage in sexual activities next door on two occasions. Aficionado's discrimination claims include Ye allegedly telling him that his traditional Filipino tattoos were ugly and should be removed.
One of Aficionado's attorneys in the case, Carney R. Shegerian, also represents Trevor Phillips, who filed a lawsuit in April accusing Ye of discrimination, harassment and retaliation.
According to his complaint, Phillips allegedly worked for Yeezy and Donda Academy for nine months and was targeted by Ye after he "pushed back against Kanye’s bigotry and instructions to violate the law."
Phillips claimed he witnessed Kanye "spew forth hate, profess antisemitic tropes and lies, threaten the LGBTQ+ community and even on one occasion, almost sexually stimulate himself," according to the suit.
Ye has a track record of racist, antisemitic ideology
In October 2022, Ye drew backlash for wearing a black shirt emblazoned with "white lives matter" to a surprise Yeezy event at Paris Fashion Week event. The hate slogan associations with white supremacist groups, with the Southern Poverty Law Center designating the White Lives Matter collective as "a neo-Nazi group" that is "a racist response to the civil rights movement Black Lives Matter.
Within a week, Ye tweeted that he would soon go "death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE" and wrote, “You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.” He was subsequently locked out of his Twitter and Instagram accounts for violating the platforms' policies.
In ensuing appearances on news shows, Ye doubled down on his antisemitic comments but also apologized for “hurt and confusion” the post caused.
The Anti-Defamation League condemned Ye's statements for "causing untold damage by using his vast influence and platform to poison countless minds with vicious antisemitism and hate."
Ye's statements cost him several brand partnerships, including Adidas, which ended its collaboration with Yeezy. After years of legal disputes over the move, the sportswear brand and Ye reportedly reached a non-monetary settlement in October.
In December, Ye released an apology written in Hebrew and asked forgiveness for "any unintended outburst caused by my words or actions."
It was not my intention to offend or disrespect and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused," he wrote, adding he is committed to learning from this experience "to ensure greater sensitivity and understanding in the future."
Contributing: Jonathan Limehouse