A lawsuit filed in California on Tuesday alleges that rapper Kanye West engaged in troubling behavior, including yelling at Black employees and expressing admiration for Adolf Hitler.
The creative force behind the Yeezy brand, West has faced criticism in recent years for racist and antisemitic language, as well as controversial historical views.
Former employee Trevor Phillips, who is also Black, claims in the lawsuit that West subjected him to discrimination, harassment, and retaliation while working for two of West’s ventures for nearly a year.
According to Phillips, West would berate Black individuals but not white ones, and he witnessed West making derogatory remarks about Jewish people.
Phillips was hired by Yeezy in November 2022 and worked at the Donda Academy, a school founded by West in Los Angeles.
The lawsuit alleges that West praised Hitler during a dinner, attributing various inventions to him. It also claims that West once instructed two children at the academy to shave their heads and threatened to confine them in cages.
Furthermore, the suit states that West mandated employees not to be overweight, or they would risk being fired.
Phillips, who stopped working for West’s ventures in August 2023, is seeking $35,000 in compensation through the lawsuit.
His lawyer, Carney R. Shegerian, emphasized that the lawsuit aims to address the injustices Phillips faced and to send a broader message against discrimination and antisemitism.
West, who apologized to Jewish people on social media last year for previous antisemitic remarks, has been open about his mental health struggles. His ex-partner, Kim Kardashian, has urged understanding as he navigates these challenges.
