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Lauren Pisciotta, the former assistant to Kanye West who filed a sexual harrassment and wrongful termination lawsuit against the rapper in 2024, has now gone into hiding, according to her lawyer in a new report from Mediaite.
Pisciotta filed her claims against West in June 2024 in Los Angeles Superior Court, stating he fired her from her position after she refused to sleep with him. She later amended the lawsuit in October to include more disturbing details, alleging that he drugged and sexually harassed her, masturbated while on the phone with her, and that he was sending her graphic text messages while she was serving as his assistant. West denied the claims in a series of now-deleted X posts from February. His legal team also called the claims "baseless" in a statement to Rolling Stone, and claimed the rapper would be countersuing Pisciotta.
In an interview with Mediaite, Pisciotta's attorney Arick Fudali said that she's now in hiding due to backlash from West and his fans. "Lauren has really suffered since filing the lawsuit both based on what she experienced, what she alleges she experienced, but also the backlash she has experienced publicly from both Mr. West and his fans,” he said. “Certainly Mr. West did a lot more on X, and social media than criticize my client. He’s mocked my client.”
He continued, "She is so afraid of what might happen based on the backlash from Mr. West putting her name out there, mocking her, the reaction from the Mr. West fans. It’s very scary and it’s a very daunting thing for people to come and step forward and make allegations against someone like Mr. West." Despite now being in hiding, Fudali states that Pisciotta is still "willing to go to trial" and share her story in court. At press time, a court date for the trial hasn't been announced.
In a statement to The FADER, Fudali doubled down on the sentiments: "I am proud to represent and fight for Ms. Pisciotta in her lawsuit against Mr. West. While Mr. West publicly mocks my client, denigrates the Me Too movement, and spews anti-Semitic hate on social media, Ms. Pisciotta remains in hiding from Mr. West and his supporters, patiently awaiting her day in court and her chance to achieve justice."
Since Pisciotta filed her original suit, a former YEEZY employee Murphy Aficionado filed a separate lawsuit against the rapper accusing him of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Aficionado, who worked as a project manager for West, alleged the rapper made antisemitic remarks, wore a Swastika shirt around the office, and made discriminatory remarks against Aficionado and his Filipino background. He says he was employed at YEEZY for nine months and was not compensated for his work.
Editor's note: This article was updated on February 28 to include a statement from Pisciotta's lawyer.
