Kanye West Ordered To Pay $76K In Legal Fees To Ex-Employee Amid Yeezy Harassment Lawsuit

BY Devin Morton 897 Views
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TOPSHOT - US rapper and producer Kanye West gestures upon arriving at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on July 11, 2025. Kanye West will hold a concert in Shanghai on July 12. (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP) (Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images)
Kanye West was recently ordered to pay $76K in legal fees, stemming from his attempt at having a harassment lawsuit dismissed.

The Jane Doe who filed a lawsuit against Kanye West after claiming he subjected her to antisemitic remarks, sexual harassment, and retaliation took a bit of a legal win after West's unsuccessful attempt at having the suit dismissed. As first reported by Rolling Stone, a California judge ordered West to pay $76,245 in legal fees. West attempted to have the suit dismissed on free speech grounds, but the judge called it "frivolous."

“We certainly do think there are very interesting First Amendment issues that could lead to additional appeals,” Andrew Cherkasky (West's lawyer) said at the end of the hearing. “At this point, we intend to aggressively move along with litigation." Los Angeles County judge Nicholas F. Daum reviewed the original judge's decision and agreed that West's team made a frivolous motion. He also referred to it as a "baseless stalling tactic."

The anonymous woman sued Kanye West in February. Her initial complaint accused West of antisemitism, discriminatory practices, and humiliation. West allegedly referred to himself as "Hitler," sent her nude photos of another woman, and forced her to work on West's "Yeezy Porn" idea, which she did not want to do. West's lawyers dubbed the experience a "provocative creative environment." West first attempted to have the suit dismissed in April, which presiding judge Theresa M. Traber described as a move "solely intended to cause unnecessary delay."

Kanye West Lawsuit

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INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 14: Rapper Kanye West performs onstage during the "Vultures 1" playback concert during Rolling Loud 2024 at Hollywood Park Grounds on March 14, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)

This lawsuit is one of several ongoing cases for Kanye West. His former assistant, Lauren Pisciotta, accused him of sex trafficking, sexual assault, sexual battery, stalking, and several other things. Additionally, others have sued him over sample clearances, controversies pertaining to the now-defunct Donda Academy, and other scandals.

“Ye waged a relentless and deliberate campaign of antisemitism and misogyny against my client,” Jane Doe’s attorney, Carney Shegerian of Shegerian & Associates, said after the suit was initally filed. “His appalling treatment of women and fixation on Nazism, evident in abusive texts where he repeatedly calls himself Hitler, expose his motives. We need to stop excusing Ye’s behavior. As a father, husband, and employer, he must be held accountable. Ye dared my client to sue, and we will see him in court.”

If West's latest appeal is also denied, the judge will set a trial date in the near future.

About The Author
Devin Morton is a News and Evergreen Content Writer at HotNewHipHop from Queens, New York. He started with HNHH in July 2024 as an intern while entering his last year of college, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication from Stony Brook University's School of Communication and Journalism. He has previously written album reviews covering some of the most popular artists in the game, including Childish Gambino and Ice Spice, as well as conversation starting pieces about the Grammy and BET Hip-Hop Awards. Some of his favorite rappers include Kendrick Lamar, Mac Miller, and Nas, though he also has a soft spot for the Blog Era guys from when he used to read HNHH as a kid. Besides hip-hop, he's a huge fan of sports (primarily basketball, #HeatCulture) and wrestling. His work for HNHH has reflected his outside interests, also covering sports, politics, and the greater pop culture world, which he has extensive knowledge of in addition to his hip-hop expertise.

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