TMZ reports that employees have filed a lawsuit in US District Court against Kanye West and his former chief of staff, Milo Yiannopoulos, alleging that they fostered a toxic work environment.
The lawsuit alleges that the pair fostered a hostile and abusive work environment while managing the YZYVSN streaming service app. West launched the platform in spring 2024 to independently promote his albums “Vultures” and “Vultures 2,” bypassing existing services like Tidal, Spotify and Apple Music. according to To TMZ.
Kanye West Inc. sued over 'The New Slaves' allegations, Bianca allegedly sent porn to staff | Read more 👇 https://t.co/UiyI1a9Vcb
— TMZ (@TMZ) June 30, 2024
According to TMZ, the lawsuit alleges that West and Yiannopoulos employed an international group of developers, including several Black members and a minor as young as 14, under harsh working conditions. These employees, who primarily worked remotely using platforms like Discord, Zoom and Slack, were allegedly subjected to long unpaid hours, racist harassment and intimidation. (RELATED: Report: Kanye West Named Assault Suspect for Punching Man Who “Assaulted” His Wife)
Management referred to team members as “slaves” and “neoslaves,” as well as using derogatory terms based on race, gender, sexual orientation and national origin, TMZ reported. The suit also alleges that West's wife, Bianca Censoli, exacerbated the hostile environment by sending pornographic videos to staff and making them available to minors involved in the project, according to TMZ. The suit does not name Censoli as a defendant, but notes that her actions contributed to the team's distress.
PARIS, FRANCE – JUNE 19: (Editorial Use Only – Please seek approval from the fashion house for any non-editorial use) (From left) Kanye West and Bianca Sensali attend the Prototype Menswear Spring/Summer 2025 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on June 19, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Livance Boulaki/Getty Images)
According to TMZ, the developers were originally promised $120,000 once the app was completed in April 2024, provided they agreed to the working conditions and would not complain. However, the lawsuit alleges that no payment was ever made, even though the employees fulfilled their obligations. Additionally, employees were allegedly forced to sign non-disclosure agreements, and minors were forced to sign “volunteer” contracts under threat of firing or withholding of payment.
