Model Jenifer An has turned to the reputable and respected High Profile Harassment Case Attorneys of Phillips & Associates, PLLC of New York to file a lawsuit against Kanye West, who currently goes by Ye. In the lawsuit that is led by Attorney Jesse Weinstein, acting Of Counsel at Acré Law Group, P.C., An alleges that Kanye West sexually assaulted her on the 2010 set for La Roux’s “In For the Kill” music video. The Kanye West lawsuit also names Universal Music Group (UMG) as a defendant for failing to investigate the incident when it occurred, which our client believes was an intentional decision to try to prevent it from ever coming to light, especially because the final edit for the music video does not feature Ye or Jen at all.
Details of the Kanye West Sexual Assault Incident
In 2010, La Roux was filming the music video for “In For the Kill,” including at the Chelsea Hotel in New York City. Several models were used in the production of the music video, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary at first. However, according to the lawsuit Phillips & Associates, PLLC has filed for Jenifer An, problems quickly arose once Kanye West arrived on the set and “took control of the production and the production team.”
Kanye West ordered the models to line up so he could judge their appearances. When Kanye (Ye) saw An, he said, “Give me the Asian Girl.” She was wearing lingerie for the shoot and felt uncomfortable at his command, which involved him leading her to a suite with a couch, chairs, and cameras in it.
While sitting in front of a camera, An was taken by surprise when Kanye began to choke her, first with one hand, and then forcefully strangling her with both. The molestation continued as he wiped his hands over her face before ramming several fingers down her throat to “emulate forced oral sex.” During the incident, An alleges Kanye screamed, “This is art. This is <expletive> art. I am like Picasso.” The intensity and force of the sexually motivated incident made An feel like she had “temporarily blacked out,” left her understandably traumatized, and did lasting damage to her career.
Filing a Sexual Assault Lawsuit to Set Things Right
Since reaching the decision to speak up and bring legal action against Kanye West, Jenifer An has been clear that her lawsuit is not just about seeking justice for herself but also for all women in the music and entertainment industries who have been harmed in similar ways but never found an opportunity to try to set things right. In a separate press release, she explained, “Women in the music and entertainment industries have been subject to sexual abuse for years with no recourse to speak out or implement change. This space is a dangerous place for women. We are essentially objects in the entertainment world. The industries have thrived on placing us in abusive power dynamics. Outside of creating legal precedent, survivors of sexual assault have nothing. I hope to hold the abusers accountable through the legal system, and that this effort creates a safer world for us and for future artists. This would not have been possible without the support and faith of my attorneys, who always believed my story.”
In the same press release, Attorney Weinstein reinforced the sentiment, saying, “We are honored and privileged to represent Ms. An, who has displayed great courage to speak out against some of the most powerful men and entities within the entertainment industry. […] Everyone’s voice is important, and West cannot escape liability because of his success and notoriety.”
All things considered, this case that Phillips & Associates, PLLC has brought forth for Jenifer An against Kanye West is still in its early stages. With this in mind, more details about the situation and the legal process cannot be provided at this time out of respect for our client’s privacy.
To learn more about this lawsuit as it develops, be sure to frequently visit our blog, where we will provide important updates as we can. If you want to know more about Phillips & Associates, PLLC or need our legal counsel for a sexual abuse, discrimination, or civil rights lawsuit, please call (866) 229-9441 to arrange a free case consultation with our team. We have law offices in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Florida.