Kanye West to sue dentist over malpractice claims

Yahoo

02-05-2025

Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, is moving to sue his former Beverly Hills dentist, alleging he got him addicted to nitrous oxide gas, aka laughing gas.
The rapper's lawyer sent Dr. Thomas Connelly a notice of intention to sue from Golden Law on April 30, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The letter accuses Connelly of malpractice, and giving West excessive amounts of nitrous oxide for non-medical purposes.
'Evidence shows that during the time Ye was under your care, you engaged in numerous inappropriate and dangerous practices that were far outside the bounds of any legitimate medical purpose or standard of care,' the letter obtained by the outlet reads. 'These actions were not isolated incidents but rather part of a pattern of improper conduct by you from 2024 through 2025 while Ye was your patient. Ms. Censori, as Ye's spouse, was a witness to and impacted by many of these events (some of which took place at their shared residence).'
The letter, signed by Andrew Cherkasky, also claims that the dentist encouraged the rapper to use the gas unsupervised.
West claims it caused adverse neurological and behavioral effects.
'As a result, in this instance, Ye suffered extreme mental and physical distress leading to urgent medical care,' Cherkasky wrote. 'In another instance, evidence suggests additional improper usage of propofol or similar controlled substances when Ye had diminished capacity and was not aware of or capable of knowingly consent for the usage of this substance due.'
Various media outlets report that the 'Donda' rapper saw the dentist in 2024 and 2025 and saw him for numerous cosmetic procedures like prosthodontic work and a custom titanium crown. The cost of the services reportedly range from $50,000 a month to over 'hundreds of thousands.'
'You repeatedly administered or supplied nitrous oxide ('laughing gas') and/or other sedative substances to Ye in quantities and frequencies that had no legitimate dental or medical justification,' the letter stated. 'Notably, you went so far as to deliver large 'surgical-size' nitrous oxide tanks to Ye's personal residence (including the residence he shared with Ms. Censori), effectively enabling and encouraging him to inhale nitrous oxide outside of any medical setting.'
Connelly is known as 'a pioneer in luxury cosmetic dentistry, crafting multi-million dollar smiles for some of the world's most influential figures in entertainment and sports,' according to his website Man Smile. 'With 25 years of expertise and locations in SoHo, NYC, and Beverly Hills, Dr. Connelly's precision and artistry are sought after worldwide. His extensive training includes the Mayo Clinic, University of Detroit Mercy, and Louisiana State University, and he has served as a clinical professor at Harvard University Dental School and Columbia School of Dental Medicine.'
For years, West has been open about his mental health.
On the cover of his 2018 album'ye,' text reads: 'I hate being Bi-Polar its (sic) awesome.'
For most of his career, he's been known for his public outbursts. In recent years, he started airing out his prejudices and biases without restrictions or filters.
KTLA 5 has reached out to Connelly for a comment on the lawsuit.
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