Kaylah Walton
A lawsuit has been filed in a U.S. District Court naming rapper Kanye West and his wife, Bianca Censori.
The lawsuit claims that while developing an app to promote West‘s music and potential venture into the adult film industry, West and his former chief of staff Milo Yiannopoulos created a toxic and exploitative work environment.
The lawsuit alleges that West and Yiannopoulos hired a developer group that included Black members and minors as young as 14. They were reportedly not paid for their work once completed.
Allegations in the Lawsuit
The employees, mainly working remotely, used apps like Discord, Zoom, and Slack to communicate with West, Yiannopoulos, and their team.
In April 2024, Yiannopoulos promised to pay the developer group $120,000 upon completing the app, contingent on signing non-disclosure and “volunteer” agreements, but payment was not made even after compliance.
The situation deteriorated when West‘s white managers overseeing foreign and minority workers allegedly created a hostile work environment, using disparaging language and racist remarks. The employees, even minors, were allegedly subjected to long hours without pay and derogatory terms like “new slaves.”
Yiannopoulos allegedly made inappropriate comments to team members, including sending a racially insensitive emoji and referring to a younger worker as a “school shooter.”
During the app development, West announced the launch of an adult film business named “Yeezy Porn,” and Bianca reportedly shared explicit content with a worker, potentially exposing minors to inappropriate material.
