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Kanye West is facing a lawsuit from his former assistant over allegations of sexual harassment and wrongful termination, including claims that he masturbated in front of her.
In a complaint filed Monday in Los Angeles court, Lauren Pisciotta claims that she faced a “systematic” onslaught of “unlawful harassment” during her year of working for the embattled rapper, first as an executive assistant and later as chief of staff for his companies.
Pisciotta says West frequently sent her sexually explicit texts, including photos and videos of him having sex with other women, and that he repeatedly propositioned her for sex.
“Defendant would often tell plaintiff that he always wanted to have sex with her, and that he held these feelings for a very long time,” Pisciotta’s lawyers write. “Defendant also falsely boasted that he had sex with plaintiff or would insinuate to his friends, business partners and music and fashion collaborators that he was having sex with plaintiff.”
In one particularly graphic allegation, Pisciotta claims that West locked her in a room during a private jet flight and laid down in a bed in front of her: “Plaintiff sat in a chair across from defendant; he masturbated under the covers until he fell asleep. Plaintiff was unable to leave as the door had locked and jammed behind her.”
A rep for West, who now legally goes by the name Ye, did not immediately return a request for comment.
According to the lawsuit, West hired Pisciotta in July 2021 after they met while she was working in connection with his fashion line. She says she agreed to work for him as a “full time employee” in return for a $1 million salary.
At the time she was hired, Pisciotta says she maintained a successful page on OnlyFans – a social media site in which subscribers can pay to access sexually explicit content from individual creators. Pisciotta says the page was generating more than $1 million per year, and West “did not have any issue or objection to it” when she was hired.
But a year later, she says West told her that he wanted her to be “God like” and asked her to delete the page in return for a promise of a $1 million payment. Though she agreed to do so, her lawyers claim she didn’t see any of that money: “Ye never paid plaintiff as promised.”
Pisciotta’s lawsuit came with pages of texts allegedly sent by West, many of them sexually graphic. In one, he allegedly sent a video of him having sex and then asked “What u think of this vid.” In another, he referenced an earlier outing at a bowling alley: “I just thinking back to the bowling alley thinking of what the headline could have been,” the rapper wrote in one of the alleged texts. “Ye arrested for fucking the shit out of his assistant on the bowling alley floor.”
In another incident, the lawsuit says West told a male guest that he could have sex with Pisciotta in exchange for allowing West to have sex with another woman.
In October 2022, Pisciotta says she was terminated, shortly after she had been promoted to chief of staff and offered a huge raise. Though she was allegedly offered a $3 million severance payment, she claims West and his companies later “reneged on their commitment to pay the severance.”
In technical terms, the lawsuit includes claims of breach of contract, wrongful termination, sexual harassment, retaliation, gender discrimination, fraud and various other employment law violations.
John Legend is speaking out against Diddy, less than a year after the duo collaborated on a track that appeared on Legend’s The Love Album: Off the Grid.
“I was horrified by the descriptions that I read before the video evidence came out,” Legend told CNN this week of the devastation accusations against Diddy, as well as the video that was released that featured the hip-hop star appearing to assault his then-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. “And absolutely it’s something that needs to be brought to light when it happens.”
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The duo collaborated with Babyface on 2023’s “Kim Porter,” which was named after Combs’ late partner who died in 2018 of pneumonia.
Noting that that allegations against Diddy are “shameful,” Legend added, “My default stance is to believe women when they make these accusations and to make sure that we do whatever we can to support women,” hoping “that they’re heard and that any kind of accountability and reparations can be made to make these women whole again.”
In the video, obtained by CNN earlier this month and dated March 5, 2016, Combs appears to shove Ventura to the ground near an elevator bank, kick her several times while she lies on the ground and drag her down a hallway. The contents of the video mirror an assault allegation Ventura made in a now-settled lawsuit she filed against Diddy in November.
Shortly after, on May 19, Diddy took to social media to share a video of himself taking responsibility and apologizing for his actions in the disturbing clip. “It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that,” Diddy says in his Instagram video. “I was f—ed up. I mean, I hit rock bottom. But I make no excuses. My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I’m disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it, I’m disgusted now.”
He continued, “I went out and sought professional help. Had to go into therapy, into rehab. Had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry. But I’m committed to being a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”
“The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs,” said Ventura’s attorney, Douglas Wigdor, in a statement sent to Billboard. “Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light.”
Ventura was the first to accuse Diddy of sexual assault, filing a lawsuit in November in which attorneys for Cassie claimed she “endured over a decade of his violent behavior and disturbed demands,” including repeated physical attacks and forcing her to “engage in sex acts with male sex workers” while he masturbated. According to the complaint, after she attempted to separate from him in 2018 after an on-and-off public relationship for 11 years, Combs allegedly “forced her into her home and raped her while she repeatedly said ‘no’ and tried to push him away.” The case was soon settled, but Combs was then sued by multiple other women who claimed they were sexually abused by the hip-hop mogul.
“ENOUGH IS ENOUGH,” Diddy wrote on Instagram in December. “For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy. Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”
Jason Aldean and his wife Brittany Aldean shared their reactions after former president (and current presidential nominee) Donald Trump’s conviction on 34 felony charges. The Trump verdict marks the first criminal conviction of a former president in U.S. history. The “Try That in a Small Town” singer shared a photo on Instagram of an upside […]
Former President Donald Trump is now a convicted felon, with a Manhattan jury finding him guilty of all 34 charges against him of falsifying business records Thursday (May 30) following a seven-week trial. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The verdict makes him the first ex-POTUS to […]
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. First lady Jill Biden is bringing a new perspective of the White House to young readers with her upcoming children’s book […]
The late Notorious B.I.G.‘s mom, Voletta Wallace, was one of many people who was disturbed after a video of Sean “Diddy” Combs physically assaulting then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016 surfaced earlier this month. And in a new interview published Thursday (May 30), the Biggie’s mother told Rolling Stone that the clip — compounded with the […]
Several of the people who have accused disgraced former music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs of sexual abuse have spoken out for the first time in a new Rolling Stone story in which they detail the alleged actions of the Bad Boy Records boss.
One of the women suing Combs for sexual assault, Joi Dickerson-Neal, told the magazine that she didn’t come forward for a payday, but rather to make sure “the world sees that this man who rose to the level of an ‘icon’ is actually sick and has left so many victims in [the wake of his] unpunished disgusting behavior for years.”
“One date with Sean Combs led to the trauma and pain of sexual assault and an ocean’s depth of shame,” she alleged to the publication, as well as “debilitating self-doubt and a lifetime of inner turmoil” after learning that Combs allegedly distributed an explicit video of her, as outlined in her lawsuit.
Combs is currently facing lawsuits from multiple people, all of whom accuse the disgraced music mogul of sexual abuse, with five of the women accusing Combs or rape or violent sexual assault in incidents that date back to 1990. After CNN recently obtained and surfaced a 2016 video of Combs assaulting then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura — who sued him for rape and assault in November, and settled soon after — the musician apologized and took responsibility for his actions in the video, but he has otherwise strongly denied all the other allegations.
Combs’ attorney told the magazine that he cannot comment on settled litigation and will not comment on pending legal action. Billboard has also reached out to his PR and legal teams for comment on the allegations in the Rolling Stone story.
Dickerson-Neal, who appeared opposite Combs in a 1990 music video, filed a sexual assault suit against Diddy in November. She told the magazine that she “reluctantly” agreed to a dinner date with Combs in January 1991 while attending college and working at a restaurant to pay her bills. After allegedly being warned to stay away from Combs because of his “infamous reputation,” Dickerson-Neal said she asked that they dine at the restaurant where she worked because she was afraid to be alone with him.
She alleges in her lawsuit that Combs “intentionally drugged” her, then allegedly sexually assaulted her. Dickerson-Neal also claims Diddy filmed the alleged attack and showed the video to others “like a trophy.” Combs’ lawyers deny the allegations and have moved to dismiss her lawsuit.
Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, a music producer who has also sued Combs, accusing him of “groping and touching” his anus and repeatedly forcing Jones to “solicit sex workers and perform sex acts to the pleasure of Mr. Combs,” also spoke to RS. Jones told the publication, “He is a monster, nothing has changed … this guy got no soul. He has no duty to anyone, not even his kids.”
Model Crystal McKinney described taking part in a fashion show for Diddy’s Sean John clothing brand in February 2003, and in her lawsuit, claims that Combs pressured her to take a hit from a “laced” joint after saying she was acting “too uptight.” The suit claims Combs allegedly forced her to perform oral sex on him, an incident that she said sent her into a “tailspin of anxiety and depression” that resulted in a suicide attempt.
“I had a whole future [in modeling] mapped out that was stolen from me. Being sexually assaulted and having no recourse is so painful,” McKinney told RS. “I felt like I was dying every day because I did not yet have the strength to come forward. … I hope that by speaking out, I can help other survivors come forward and seek justice.”
A woman who filed a Jane Doe lawsuit against Diddy in December over claims that he and two other men drugged and raped her in 2003 when she was 17 years old — a suit Combs’ lawyer filed to dismiss, calling it a “decades-old tale” aimed at extracting “an undeserved financial recovery” — also spoke out. She told RS that she hopes her legal action will hold “not just Combs, but also all of those who acted with him, stood silent, and actively covered up his behavior” to account.
Stories about sexual assault allegations can be traumatizing for survivors of sexual assault. If you or anyone you know needs support, you can reach out to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN). The organization provides free, confidential support to sexual assault victims. Call RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE) or visit the anti-sexual violence organization’s website for more information.
As the crisis in Gaza continues to escalate in violence, Kehlani has taken to Instagram to call out their peers for not speaking up.
In a clip posted Monday, the “Distraction” singer shared contempt for her “highly f—ing platformed” peers in the music industry for not speaking out about the Israel-Hamas war. “And you can’t stop for a second and recognize that … nothing we do has a f—ing purpose without people and you can’t turn the f— around and reach back for people? You can’t speak? Disgusting,” she says in the clip.
Kehlani noted that they lost “any ounce of f—ing respect” for those who have not spoken up. “This is going to be in history books. … This is going to be something that is referenced for the rest of f—ing forever.”
“F— a lot of y’all too,” Kehlani concluded.
In the caption, the star expanded on their thoughts. “I don’t got it no more I just don’t I tried hella ways to cope & it doesn’t exist and that’s okay, nobody should know how to cope right now,” she wrote. “I tried to drop some music & get my mind back right, my focus back & the rage is just EXTREMELY prevalent. this sh– is f—ing me up BEEN f—ing me up it should be f—ing a lot of yall up but apparently it’s not???? what’s good yall??? we don’t sell out shows without A CROWD FULL OF PEOPLE. the songs don’t chart without PEOPLE. the trends don’t trend without PEOPLE. you don’t draw a line at beheaded babies or people burnt alive after 7 months of plenty of other atrocities ? idc about the roll out the formula the strategy the algorithm at this point i’m begging U TO BE PEOPLE. BE A F—IN HUMAN BEING.”
Kehlani’s post comes just a day after Israel launched a missile attack on Rafah, hitting an encampment of displaced Palestinians in the Tal As-Sultan, an area that Israel had reportedly set as a “safe zone.” The attack killed dozens of people and wounded at least 249 — many of whom were civilians, including women and children. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the civilians were “unintentionally” hit.
The attack took place soon after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to stop its Rafah military offensive. Israel’s ongoing attack on the Gaza Strip has killed more than 35,000 people since October, Reuters reports. The Gaza Health Ministry said on May 24 that more than 80,200 Palestinians have been injured in the offensive.
The Israel-Hamas war began Oct. 7, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing an estimated 1,200 people and taking more than 250 as hostages. According to The Associated Press, about half of the hostages have been freed.
Watch Kehlani’s full message below.
Sean “Diddy” Combs is facing yet another sexual abuse lawsuit, this time filed by a woman who claims that he drugged and sexually assaulted her 30 years ago while she was a college student in New York City.
In a complaint filed Thursday in Manhattan court, April Lampros alleges that the rapper subjected her to “an aggressive, coercive, and abusive relationship based on sex,” including four instances of sexual assault.
In one such allegation, she says Combs forced her to take ecstasy and have sex with his former girlfriend Kim Porter. Though she “vocally opposed” the idea, she said she feared that Combs “blacklist her in the industry.”
“Ms. Lampros knew that she had to comply because she had witnessed what happens when someone defies Mr. Combs,” her lawyers write. “She had also been threatened and victimized by Mr. Combs and did not want to cause a problem because she feared him.”
Thursday’s lawsuit also names Sony Music Entertainment as a defendant, claiming the company “enabled” Combs’ conduct. She claims that she worked for Sony’s Arista Records when at least one of the attacks occurred, and that Sony “knew or should have known that Combs was not fit to be in a position of authority.”
Representatives for both Combs and Sony did not immediately return requests for comment.
Lampros is the seventh alleged victim to file a lawsuit accusing Combs of sexual abuse over the past six months, including one filed just days ago by a model named Crystal McKinney who claims the hip-hop mogul forced her to perform oral sex on him following a Men’s Fashion Week event in 2003. The rapper is also reportedly facing a federal criminal investigation over abuse accusations.
In previous statements, Combs has strongly denied any wrongdoing. But after a video surfaced last week showing Combs attacking one of those accusers – then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura – he said he took “full responsibility” for that incident and was “truly sorry.”
In her complaint, Lampros claims that she met Combs in 1994 while she was a college student at New York City’s Fashion Institute of Technology. After she told him about her “dreams of working in the fashion industry,” Lampros says Combs promised to mentor her and help her find work in the industry.
But she says the relationship quickly turned sexual, including “four terrifying sexual encounters” and threats of physical violence. One such incident occurred after a night out in 1995, when she claims that she began to feel unwell after taking just “a few sips of one drink.”
“Ms. Lampros pleaded with Mr. Combs to stop, and he ignored her,” her attorneys write. “Ms. Lampros could not process why this was occurring and felt a loss of control. Ms. Lampros was being raped by Mr. Combs, and she soon passed out.”
Thoughout the relationship, Lampros claims that Combs exercised power over her due to his fame and influence: “She felt that if she disobeyed him, he would take away her dreams of pursuing a career in his world.”
Lampros also claims that Combs surreptitiously filmed one of their sexual encounters and then shared the video with others. She says she learned of the tape in 2023, when an unnamed man told her boyfriend that “he should reconsider dating her because he personally saw a video of her and Sean Combs having sex.”
The lawsuit alleges that all of the defendants violated New York City’s Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law. The case also includes counts of civil battery, sexual assault and negligent infliction of emotional distress against Combs.
Read the entire complaint here:
In the third episode of ‘Billboard Unfiltered,’ Billboard staffers Damien Scott, Carl Lamarre and Trevor Anderson discuss the aftermath of the 2016 video of Diddy physically assaulting ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura as well as new sexual assault allegations against him and how this will forever tarnish his legacy. They also debate whether Lauryn Hill’s singular album […]
