Lawsuit accuses Kanye West of drugging and sexually assaulting his ex-assistant during a session at Diddy studio

Lauren Pisciotta, who worked for West from 2021 to 2022, said a studio assistant served her a drink at West’s request

Kanye West’s former assistant is filing a lawsuit, accusing him of drugging and sexually assaulting him during a studio session co-hosted by the rapper and Sean “Diddy” Combs.

Lauren Pisciotta, who worked for West from 2021 to 2022, alleges in an amended complaint obtained by PEOPLE that West committed “sexual violence” after serving her a drink. Pisciotta’s allegations are part of her previous wrongful termination lawsuit against West, in which she claimed she was subjected to explicit texts, pornographic photos, videos and phone calls from him before being fired. She began working with West in July 2021 to participate in his Yeezy women’s fashion line and collaborate on his 2021 album, Donda.

An attorney for West did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Saturday, October 12.

A legal representative for West previously denied Pisciotta’s other allegations made in her initial June 2024 complaint to PEOPLE, and added that “you will take legal action against Ms. Pisciotta.”

Related: Kanye West Reportedly Hired Fixer to Investigate Kardashians & Private Investigator to ‘Follow’ Bianca Censori: Complaint

According to the now-amended complaint obtained by PEOPLE and filed Oct. 8 in Los Angeles County Court, Pisciotta alleges that before working for West, the rapper and producer invited her to a studio session in Santa Monica, California, where “drinks were served to the other attendees, followed by an announcement that everyone had to drink if they wanted to stay.

According to the lawsuit, the studio session was co-hosted by West and Combs, and Pisciotta was invited along with a “former artist management client.” Although Combs is named in the amended complaint as a co-host of the event, Pisciotta does not accuse the former music mogul – who is now in prison awaiting trial on sex trafficking and racketeering charges – of wrongdoing For now.

The filing further alleges that Pisciotta’s drink – allegedly served to her by a studio assistant at West’s request – was “laced with an unidentifiable drug”, before she felt disoriented after “a few small sips “.

“As the plaintiff began to sink into an altered and severely weakened state, she felt less in control of her body and her speech, and this is where the plaintiff’s memories of that night escaped her,” the statement said. complaint.

According to the filing, Pisciotta woke up the next day “feeling physically ill and confused” and felt “overwhelmed and embarrassed” about not being able to remember what happened after drinking, according to the filing. .

For years, West’s former assistant thought she had been drugged and made a fool of herself at a work event. Much later — after West hired Pisciotta to serve as his assistant and chief of staff and do A&R for him — she says the rapper would bring up the night in question for the first time. During the conversation, West told Pisciotta that they “kind of connected once,” referring to the party at the Santa Monica studio where the alleged assault took place.

After Pisciotta allegedly told West she had no memory of the studio session, West laughed and told her that “women like to say they don’t remember it,” according to the complaint.

“Until that moment, just before this conversation, the complainant was unaware that she had been subjected to gender-based violence and sexual assault during this studio party by KANYE WEST aka YE,” we can read in the document.

According to the amended complaint, Pisciotta felt “overwhelmed with immense shame, discomfort and utter disgust.”

Elsewhere in the complaint, Pisciotta alleged that in July 2021, during an “album workshop” at the St. Regis Hotel in San Francisco, West “knocked aggressively” on his room door. hotel at 6 a.m., woke her up, forced her way out. in her room” and said he had to use her shower because hers was broken. Pisciotta alleges that West then approached her and “dropped his towel”, before “attempting to push with forced his naked body and penis into the plaintiff’s face” and “ignored her calls to stop.” According to the complaint, West “left quickly” after saying “sorry” and “continued with his day as usual.” habit”.

The complaint claims that Pisciotta — who alleged that West sent her lewd messages and fired her from her position as chief of staff at his various companies a month after her promotion in September 2022 — “couldn’t stand the fact that ‘she worked for the man’. who had sexually assaulted her against her will while she was drugged, who then managed to lure her back into his orbit through a job opportunity to sexually assault her again.

West also faces a separate lawsuit filed in April 2024 by a former employee who claimed he suffered “severe discrimination (and) harassment” while working for Yeezy and at his school Donda Academy. A former employee also filed a lawsuit this week over allegations of emotional distress, retaliation and labor code violations.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit rainn.org.

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