Kanye West's ex-assistant in hiding after filing sexual assault claims, lawyer says
Speaking to the BBC, Arick Fudali said Ms Pisciotta had now deleted most of her internet presence and is now "just sort of sitting around and hiding - letting this lawsuit play out".He added: "It's really sad - she's gone through a lot. She is suffering and has been suffering since she began working for Mr West."Ms Pisciotta started working for West in 2021 and first filed her lawsuit against the rapper on 3 June 2024 alleging sexual harassment, breach of contract and wrongful termination.Earlier this month, an amended claim was filed alleging that six days later she became a victim of targeted "swatting", which she claims West was organising.Swatting involves the reporting of serious crimes at a specific location in order to prompt law enforcement to raid the site.
Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty hosts the BBC Sounds 'Fame Under Fire' podcast, scrutinising the trending celebrity stories, and getting to the truth behind the timeline. Available wherever you get your BBC podcasts.
In Ms Pisciotta's amended lawsuit, filed on 10 July 2025, she claims she was "bombarded with unwanted, harassing, and alarming" visits from the police. In one instance, she says the Palm Beach Sheriff's office performed an armed raid at her property in Florida after receiving a report that Ms Pisciotta had killed her own mother.Ms Pisciotta also claims that around this time she started to receive phone calls from individuals warning her not to pursue the lawsuit and that she would not "prevail" against West.
Ms Pisciotta alleges that during her time working for West she was repeatedly sexually assaulted and harassed.On one occasion, while working on the DONDA album, Ms Pisciotta claims that West came to her hotel room and demanded to use her shower. The document details that after some time he came out of the bathroom and dropped his towel revealing his penis and she claims he raped her orally.Ms Pisciotta also claims that West frequently engaged in sexual activity with Yeezy - the company founded by the rapper - staff members in the office and that he would record the encounters and send them to her. She says he would frequently text her about sexual fantasies involving her.Ms Pisciotta also claims that West "exposed his employees to extreme displays of racism and antisemitism on a daily basis. "Ye constantly used derogatory, antisemitic slurs, and interrogated employees he suspected were Jewish. On multiple occasions, Ye demanded that his assistants and other employees draw swastikas in the workplace," the lawsuit says.
West responds
In an interview with the BBC's Fame Under Fire podcast, Mr Fudali highlighted that some of West's posts on social media appear to admit some of her claims.Mr Fudali told presenter Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty: "He [West] has a song called Heil Hitler. He calls himself a walking 'Me Too'. He admits to sexually harassing his employees. You see all that he's done publicly, you can imagine what he has done in private."West's social media posts do not directly admit guilt to any legal claims and his team strongly deny the allegations.Mr Fudali says all of West's tweets will be brought up as evidence during his deposition with the rapper and shown in court during the trial.The BBC asked West's team for a response to the claims. His team did not reply but West's spokesperson previously told USA Today: "Lauren Pisciotta's amended complaint is the fourth version she has advanced. Each new revision contradicts the others."It goes on to call the latest claim a "breathless new instalment of fantasy fiction [that] discredits all past, present and future testimony".The spokesperson added: "We stand ready to annihilate Ms Pisciotta's tall tales before a jury − an exoneration so inevitable that even she, lost in her fog of fantasy, must surely see it coming."If you are affected by any of the issues in this story, details of help and support are available at BBC Action Line
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Investigators quiz jailed Ghislaine Maxwell about Prince Andrew, claim reports
INVESTIGATORS quizzed jailed madam Ghislaine Maxwell about Prince Andrew, it is reported. She answered 'honestly and truthfully' during nine hours of questions. 3 3 US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche asked her about more than 100 people linked to her paedophile ex-boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein. Brit socialite Maxwell, 63, is serving 20 years in Florida after being convicted of offences including sex trafficking. The meeting came after President Donald Trump faced questions over his own links to Epstein, who killed himself in jail awaiting trial in 2019. A source, quoted by The Mail on Sunday, said: 'Ghislaine has never told her story to anyone in government before. 'At times it was very emotional but she answered every question asked of her. 'She was asked about a list of people including Prince Andrew, Bill Gates, Bill Clinton, Alan Dershowitz and powerful Wall Street financiers. 'It's ironic that Elon Musk kicked this whole thing off when he fell out with Trump and then made that post on X about Trump allegedly preventing the release of the full Epstein documents as some sort of 'cover-up'. 'Well, Elon is in there, as is his brother. "It was a monumental moment for Ghislaine to finally be asked about these people and to tell the truth.' Jeffrey Epstein's brother insists he was 'most likely murdered' amid mystery around 'missing minute' of 'suicide' video 3
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Beyonce sends fans into a frenzy with surprise Destiny's Child reunion during final Cowboy Carter show
Destiny's Child have reunited for the first time in several years during Beyoncé's final Cowboy Carter show. The smash-hit singer reunited with her former bandmates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. 6 6 6 After performing 31 shows across Europe and the states, Beyonce took to the stage for her final show of the worldwide Cowboy Carter Tour. But as she wrapped up her performances to a sold-out crowd in Vegas, Queen Bey sent her fans into a frenzy with a special surprise performance. The trio took to the stage together for the first time since their Coachella reunion in 2018. Her loyal fans went wild as the famous noughties group sported co-ordinated sparkly gold ensembles. They strutted down the stage as the music for 'Lose My Breath' blared out to tens of thousands of Beyoncé's biggest fans. Beyonce, Kelly and Michelle sang a mashup of some of their most popular tracks which also included 'Bootylicious' on Saturday night. Videos going round social media also show Beyoncé participating in her famous mute challenge with her 'Independent Women' bandmates. This was during her song 'Energy' from her Renaissance album that was released in 2022. All three members of the group took to their respective profiles on social media the following morning to commemorate the special occasion. Kelly captioned her image with three black heart emojis, whilst Michelle wrote: "The Chil'ren!", along with a shooting star. Blue Ivy looks IDENTICAL to mom Beyonce as she arrives in Paris with dad Jay-Z According to The Hollywood Reporter, Williams also left a comment in one of the snaps which read: "We'll tell y'all next time!! SIKE!!" This was as Beyoncé uploaded multiple snaps of the trio in a mini-album in two separate posts. For the grand finale of the tour, Beyoncé also brought out her husband Jay Z and Shaboozey at different points of the evening. This was a culmination of her performances across the globe, which started in April and supported her Grammy-winning album of the same name. Starting in Los Angeles with several shows, she also headed to Chicago, New Jersey, London, Paris, Houston, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta before finishing up in Sin City. Over 1.5million people attended her stadium concerts across 32 gigs, which grossed over $387million in ticket sales. Since their initial disbandment, Destiny's Child have reunited several times, which included Beyoncé's set for the Super Bowl halftime show in 2013. 6 6 6
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
The Fantastic Four: First Steps breaks Marvel's box office slump with a $218 million global debut
Marvel Studios is officially back in the blockbuster business. The Fantastic Four: First Steps launched with a bigger-than-expected opening weekend, raking in an estimated $118 million domestically and another $100 million overseas for a global debut of around $220 million, according to Comscore. Heading into the weekend, projections had forecast a $115 million North American take, making First Steps one of the studio's best-performing non-sequel debuts in recent years. The film, which introduces a fresh version of Marvel's original superhero team, cost at least $300 million to produce and market. And unlike many recent Marvel entries, First Steps doesn't require fans to brush up on previous films or plotlines to understand what's happening. 'It is a no-homework-required movie,' Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said at a recent publicity event, according to The New York Times. 'It literally is not connected to anything we've made before.' The standalone approach appears to be paying off. Marvel has seen several stumbles in recent years, including 2021's Eternals and this year's Thunderbolts, which has grossed just $382 million — the studio's lowest total (adjusted for inflation) since it launched its cinematic universe in 2008. Sequels haven't fared much better, fueling chatter about 'superhero fatigue.' Analysts have also pointed to an overcomplicated web of storylines to leaving some audience members lost. But First Steps seemingly marks a promising reset. Directed by WandaVision's Matt Shakman, the film stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the latest version of Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch and the Thing. Additionally, Julia Garner plays the Silver Surfer. The franchise has a rocky past. A 1994 adaptation was shelved before release, and the 2005 and 2007 versions were met with critical backlash despite moderate ticket sales. A 2015 reboot fared worse, both at the box office and with fans. This new iteration, however, has earned praise for its strong ensemble cast and a more grounded story. 'The movie is a step-up in concept, storytelling and appeal,' said box office analyst David A. Gross. 'We haven't had this kind of performance from the genre for a long time.' The film's release also arrives amid a quieter year for superheroes in general. Only four titles in the genre were released in 2025, down from eight just two years ago, with nothing else scheduled until Supergirl lands in June 2026. 'This is the new normal,' Gross added, noting studios are adjusting output to match changing demand. Marvel wasn't the only studio celebrating over the weekend. Warner Bros. Discovery also hit a major milestone, with Superman soaring past $500 million globally and Apple's F1, which Warner distributed, hitting $509 million in ticket sales. Superman marks the first theatrical release from DC Studios under new co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran, who stepped in back in 2022 with a 10-year plan to reboot the brand across film and television. The film now ranks as the fourth-highest-grossing Superman title ever, trailing only Batman v Superman, Man of Steel, and Justice League. Meanwhile, F1 has officially become Apple's top-grossing theatrical release to date — racing past 2023's Napoleon.
