Kanye West sued by former employees for racism, unpaid labor

Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, along with former Yeezy Apparel chief of staff Milo Yiannopoulos, is being sued by eight ex-employees who accuse them of "extreme racism and bullying," as well as forcing long hours of unpaid labor.

The plaintiffs, who include young adults and teenagers aged 14 to 17 from the U.S., the UK, Hungary, and Nigeria, endured "intolerable harassment and discrimination" while working on an app developed by Ye and Yiannopoulos, according to a statement by the plaintiffs' law firm, Thigpen Legal.

The lawsuit, filed on Saturday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, was obtained by NBC News. It details how team members were "regularly and viciously bullied" based on their race, gender, and sexual orientation. Some were even called "slaves" in work-related Discord group chats, with a specific channel named “New Slaves” created for new team members.

Thigpen Legal's statement on Sunday highlighted that "Black and African employees were segregated and given less favorable work assignments, with separate 'whites only' working groups formed." Minor workers were also mocked for their age, and pornographic material from the venture Yeezy Porn was allegedly shared in the workplace, even in the presence of minors.

The lawsuit further claims that minors on the team were exposed to pornographic images as part of their work on Ye's "Yeezy Porn" project. The plaintiffs also alleged that they were threatened with withheld pay if they did not work excessively long hours, including 12-hour night shifts. Despite completing the app in early May, they have yet to be compensated for their work.

Ye’s representative did not respond to requests for comment. Yiannopoulos, who recently left Yeezy Apparel, referred to the lawsuit as a "joke" on social media, dismissing the allegations and claiming that all contributors had signed agreements, including parents or guardians of minors. He denied the existence of Yeezy Porn and mocked the plaintiffs.

The lawsuit also includes allegations involving Bianca Censori, head of architecture at Yeezy and Ye's wife, who reportedly shared hardcore pornographic content via a file-sharing link, with no measures in place to protect underage workers from viewing such material. Censori is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit.

The plaintiffs describe a stressful and hostile work environment, with constant deadline changes and cult-like behavior among the team, leading to anxiety, depression, and other health issues. They are seeking compensation for emotional distress and unpaid wages, among other damages.