Kanye West Is A 'Golden Goose' Being 'Exploited' By Hollywood, 'Seinfeld' Writer Says

Yahoo

2 days ago

Kanye West seems to have changed drastically in the eyes of many who knew him prior to his marriage to reality TV star Kim Kardashian.
Famous comedy writer, Larry Charles, described the rapper, whom he almost worked with many years ago, as a "sweetheart," nothing like the Nazi-endorsing artist he has recently become.
Kanye West has now run into financial difficulties due to his unsettling social media rants and very public support for Hitler, as many venues have reportedly banned him from performing in their location.
Long before the reality shows and the controversial headlines that have now defined him, West was, according to comedy creator Charles, a "sweet, funny, and self-aware" artist.
The "Seinfeld" writer sat down for an interview with Page Six and recalled almost working with West around 2008 when he was working on "Entourage."
"He was like a sweet, funny, self-aware guy. He was very loose — this is pre-Kardashians," Charles told the news outlet, referencing West's marriage to Kim Kardashian from 2014 to 2022.
Charles went on to share that the first thing the "Vultures 1" rapper told him at the time was, "I'm the Black Larry David."
"[West] was constantly telling me funny stories about putting his foot in his mouth and having to apologize," the "Borat" director continued.
West and Charles worked on a half-hour comedy show based on the rapper's life that was set to air on HBO but didn't see the light of day after the network dropped it.
"That show was kind of like him," Charles explained. "His life as a comical horror story."
"Everybody got along great," Charles continued, "and [West] was wonderful to work with, actually. And I even considered him a friend at that point."
The comedian also shared that he sometimes thinks about how West's life would have turned out differently if the show had been picked up.
"There's all these little things, these little changes in life that sort of have these gigantic consequences," he said. "And so, again, he's somebody who has veered off into this direction, and clearly there are mental health issues."
Ever since their meeting, West went on to marry the "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" alum and also welcomed four children with her before their divorce, which was finalized in 2022.
In that same year, West married his wife Bianca Censori, and together they've sparked controversy for her indecent public appearances, especially when she pulled a nude stunt on the 2025 Grammys red carpet.
The "Carnival" rapper has also been embroiled in several lawsuits from his former employees who accused him of sexual harassment, unfair work treatment, and unpaid wages.
He went on an anti-semitic rant in 2023 that saw him fall from his billionaire status as brands like Adidas and The Gap severed ties with him.
Despite the dislike for West, Charles told the news outlet he feels sorry for him instead.
"He's a golden goose and golden gooses in Hollywood are exploited," the comedy writer said. "Nobody steps up to help them and take them out of the limelight for a while and get them the help they need."
"Instead, they continue to exploit them because they can make so much money," he added.
Meanwhile, West is reportedly experiencing financial troubles and scrambling for shows to perform in as he's seemingly been blacklisted in and outside Hollywood.
The rapper has come under fire for his controversial social media rants and vocal support for Hitler, making many venues refuse to host him for shows.
West is scheduled to play a small music festival in Slovakia next week, but the location, which has a 26,000 capacity, appears to be something he's settling for as he has been told to "stay away" from Germany, France, the U.K., Spain, Italy, Scandinavia, and Australia due to his anti-semitic comments.
Reports suggest both Wembley Stadium and the London Stadium in the U.K. blacklisted him even before he released his scandalous "Heil Hitler" song in May, leaving him to scramble for bookings around the globe.
According to a Daily Mail insider, several top venues have no intention of associating with West anymore after his multiple controversies.
"He's getting his team to phone around desperately asking for gigs, and he is said to be asking for $7 million a night. No one will touch him with a barge-pole," the insider told the news outlet.
"Wembley and London Stadium both said: 'No chance, we don't need the protests,' and that was before the single came out," they continued.
The insider added, "It's the same story everywhere they have asked. He is banned pretty much everywhere in Europe – either the venues won't touch him or he isn't able to travel there as he cannot get a visa."