Kanye West is facing a lawsuit for allegedly sucker-punching a man at the LA hotspot Chateau Marmont back in 2024.
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The lawsuit, obtained by outlets like TMZ and The New York Post, claims West knocked the man unconscious and then repeatedly punched him as he lay on the ground.
The plaintiff, who is suing anonymously as John Doe, filed the complaint in Los Angeles County Superior Court. It accuses the veteran rapper and mogul, now known as Ye, of battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress from an incident on April 16, 2024, at the iconic West Hollywood restaurant.
According to the complaint, the “Heartless” rapper approached the plaintiff’s table in the restaurant’s garden area around 11 p.m. Without warning, West, 48, allegedly punched the man in the face, knocking him to the ground.
The lawsuit alleges that the punch caused the man to hit his head and lose consciousness. Ye then repeatedly punched the plaintiff as he lay unconscious on the ground, causing serious physical injuries that required medical attention, the suit claims.
The plaintiff claims the attack was unprovoked and that he did not consent to any physical contact from the “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” rapper.
According to the complaint, West, 48, later publicly accused the plaintiff of inappropriate conduct toward a woman in his party. The lawsuit claims these public statements exposed the plaintiff to “scorn, suspicion, and ridicule.”
However, the plaintiff claims that video evidence from the scene proves he did not engage in any inappropriate conduct toward anyone in Ye’s party. He alleges that he has suffered severe emotional distress, anxiety, and humiliation, as well as harm to his professional relationships, as a result of the alleged assault and West’s subsequent statements.
Kanye West Once Told His Side of the Alleged Assault in LA
But West tells a different story. He claims the man had it coming after grabbing his wife, Bianca Censori, at the Chateau Marmont.
“My wife is walking to the bathroom at the Chateau, and this guy just grabbed my wife,” Ye recalled on The Download podcast, per The New York Post. “She explained to me what happened, so I walked over and found him… I talked to the guy like you just need to leave… and I’m like no, it’s not ok, it wasn’t ok.”
West then appeared to reference the alleged altercation, stating, “Then he started… had to go to bed early — tucked this [racial slur] in.”
According to the complaint, the plaintiff is seeking punitive, economic, and non-economic damages, as well as compensation for medical expenses and emotional distress.