Trigger Warning: This article includes discussion of alleged sexual assault, with details.
Kanye West is once again at the center of controversy. Jenn An, who was a finalist on America’s Next Top Model in 2009, has alleged the 49-year-old rapper and music producer choked her and subjected her to “pornographic gagging” during the filming of a La Roux music video, In For The Kill, at Manhattan’s Chelsea Hotel in 2010.
Here are details from Jenn An’s interview and renewed attention on Kanye West
According to NME, the model, who was a background actor in the video, sued Ye for sexual assault under New York City’s Gender Motivated Violence Protection Act in November 2024. The suit alleged that the rapper arrived on set, pointed her out, and said, “Give me the Asian girl,” before directing the camera crew to zoom in on her face to capture the alleged assault. She was 24 when she was cast in the video.
The lawsuit stated, “On camera, defendant West began to choke plaintiff with one hand. He then wrapped his other hand around her neck and continued to strangle her with both hands. He then rammed several fingers down her throat, continuously moved them in and out, and gagged her.”
Now, in an interview on the BBC’s Fame Under Fire podcast, she has given a detailed account to presenter Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty. She recollected saying, “I didn’t know what was gonna happen. I was given no direction. I was just told to sit in this chair.” Once the filming was underway,
“All of a sudden, he just reaches a hand out and starts choking me, and I’m just not sure what’s happening. And then, he pulled his other hand out and started choking me with both hands, and then started smearing my makeup all over my face and sticking his hands inside of my mouth.”
West’s actions with his hands in her mouth “simulated oral sex.” She said, “I feel like he was like trying to touch as much as he could.” The encounter reportedly ended when West allegedly yelled, “This is art, I’m Picasso.”
After the alleged incident, she said she later spoke to La Roux, whose real name is Elly Jackson, and claimed the singer apologised. In 2024, An reconnected with La Roux via Instagram and asked whether she remembered the alleged incident. According to the messages, La Roux replied that she did, adding, “I could never forget that; it was horrific,” and the messages have been submitted to the court as evidence.
The case has not yet proceeded to trial, and West’s legal team filed a motion earlier this year to have the case dismissed, arguing that the alleged conduct occurred in the course of producing expressive art and is therefore protected under free speech, reports People.
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Have you or someone you love been sexually assaulted or abused? You are not alone. Contact RAINN 24/7 to connect with a real, live person who’s trained to help. https://rainn.org/help-and-healing/hotline/
Originally reported by Meenakshi Sengupta for Mandatory
