Benjamin Provo is asking for up to roughly $23 million from Ye and Donda Academy as his years-long discrimination battle moves closer to trial.
According to TMZ, Provo recently laid out the damages he believes he is owed in the Donda Academy lawsuit, putting the potential amount at approximately $23 million. The figure is a demand from Provo, not a judgment or court-ordered award, and the case has not yet resulted in a finding that Ye or Donda Academy owes him that amount.
Provo, who is Black, filed his lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court in April 2024. According to The Independent, he alleges Ye and members of his management team treated Black employees less favorably than white employees and says he was repeatedly reprimanded over the dreadlocks he wore in connection with his Muslim faith. Provo alleges he was ultimately fired after refusing to follow Ye’s demand that he cut his hair.
The allegations go beyond Provo’s hairstyle. A detailed investigation by the Los Angeles Times reported that Provo worked as a security guard at Donda Academy’s Simi Valley location before taking on additional duties as the school moved locations. His responsibilities allegedly expanded to transporting children and teaching nutrition classes. In his complaint, Provo accused Ye of frequently yelling at and berating Black employees while also expressing hostility toward various religious groups.
The same Donda Academy lawsuit alleges Ye did not allow books about prominent Black figures, including Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Provo also claims Ye began demanding that workers and students shave their heads. When Provo refused, he says his employment ended. Ye, Donda Academy, and the other defendants denied the allegations in a 2024 court filing, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The dispute is especially significant because Donda Academy itself has been the subject of several former employee complaints. The Los Angeles Times reported that the private school, founded in honor of Ye’s late mother Donda West, faced lawsuits alleging wrongful termination, unsafe conditions, and hostile workplace conduct before eventually shutting down. Ye has denied allegations made against him by former Donda employees in court filings.
Provo’s latest filings also give a glimpse into testimony collected during the case. According to TMZ, Provo says he deposed Ye’s former chief of staff Milo Yiannopoulos, who testified that if an employee has “really thin skin about racially charged remarks … this really is not the company for you.”
Provo says Yiannopoulos also testified, “If you’re working at Yeezy between 2023 and 2024, you must accept the provocative way Ye talked about religion.
Ye has pushed back on Provo’s version of their working relationship. TMZ reported that Ye argued in court filings that Provo was not directly his employee and instead worked for a third-party company used to provide workers. That distinction could become important as the court considers who was legally responsible for the alleged workplace conduct.
The two sides have also been fighting over what evidence can be used at trial. According to MyNewsLA, a nonjury trial has been scheduled for October 12, although Ye previously asked the court to move the trial to May 17, 2027. Provo has also sought to prevent Ye from raising an argument that he was of unsound mind during the period at issue, while Ye’s attorneys have sought to keep certain social media posts and other material away from the factfinder.
The $23 million demand arrives during a year in which several other Ye lawsuits have remained active or reached major turning points.
In March 2026, a Los Angeles jury found Ye liable in a separate dispute involving former contractor Tony Saxon. He had accused Ye of labor violations, unpaid services, and disability discrimination connected to work on Ye’s former Malibu mansion. The jury awarded Saxon $140,000, significantly less than the $1.7 million his lawyers had requested. Ye disputed Saxon’s allegations and later indicated he would seek post-trial relief.
One month later, Ye was hit with another civil lawsuit stemming from a 2024 encounter at Chateau Marmont. A man identified as John Doe accused Ye of battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, alleging the rapper punched him and continued striking him after he fell. The plaintiff is seeking unspecified damages, while a representative for Ye did not provide a response to the Times when the suit was filed.
Another pending case involves model Jennifer An, who sued Ye over an alleged incident during a 2010 music video shoot. An alleges Ye sexually assaulted and humiliated her during filming. Ye’s attorneys have argued that the conduct at issue was part of an artistic performance protected by the First Amendment. The case had not gone to trial as of June 2026 reports.
Ye also resolved one of his most closely watched legal battles this summer. Former assistant Lauren Pisciotta agreed to settle her lawsuit against him in July 2026 after accusing him of sexual harassment, sexual assault, wrongful termination and other misconduct. Pisciotta requested dismissal of the case with prejudice after a settlement was reached. The terms were not disclosed. Ye had denied her allegations and previously accused her of coercion, blackmail, and extortion.
Provo’s case remains different because it places Donda Academy’s workplace culture, Ye’s treatment of Black employees, and the alleged ultimatum involving Provo’s hair directly at issue. With Provo now placing his claimed damages at approximately $23 million, the Donda Academy lawsuit could become one of the most financially significant employment cases still hanging over Ye.
