Kanye West is facing a new lawsuit alleging he created a racist and abusive work environment while developing an app to promote his music, according to TMZ. The suit also claims his wife, Bianca Censori, sent explicit videos to staff, accessible to minors. The legal action, filed in a U.S. District Court, names Kanye and his former chief of staff, Milo Yiannopoulos, as defendants.
The lawsuit accuses Kanye and Milo of “forced labor and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.” They allegedly made false promises to pay both adult and minor employees and forced them to work excessively long hours while enduring racist taunts and being called “new slaves.”
In Spring 2024, Kanye launched the YZYVSN streaming service to rival Tidal, Spotify, and Apple Music, aiming to avoid paying these platforms to promote his albums “Vultures” and “Vultures 2.” He and Milo hired an international developer group, including Black members and teens as young as 14.
Employees worked remotely, using Discord, Zoom, and Slack for communication. In April 2024, Milo promised the group $120,000 upon app completion if they agreed to harsh work conditions and refrained from complaining.
Kanye demanded all employees sign non-disclosure agreements, threatening to fire minors and withhold payment if they didn’t comply. Minor developers were also forced to sign “volunteer” agreements.
In group chats, managers harassed workers based on their age, race, gender, sexual orientation, and national origin, calling some team members “slaves” and “new slaves.”
Milo allegedly sent a Black/brown skin emoji to an African American team member and called a younger worker a school shooter.
Kanye announced an adult film venture called “Yeezy Porn,” with Bianca reportedly sending explicit videos to a staff member via a file-sharing link. Minors developing the app were not shielded from these videos.
The lawsuit claims they were never paid for their work, prompting the legal action.
The suit seeks damages for unpaid wages, overtime pay, and emotional distress.
