Kanye West Settles with Former Assistant in Rape Lawsuit

Ye (formerly Kanye West) reached an unconditional settlement with Lauren Pisciotta, a former employee who accused him of multiple instances of sexual assault, her attorney Arick Fudali confirmed on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. According to Billboard, the settlement was filed in a Los Angeles court the day before, with terms remaining confidential.

Pisciotta worked for Ye from 2021 to 2023, first in A&R for the album Donda, then as a personal assistant and chief of staff for his companies, including the Yeezy fashion line. She filed her first lawsuit for sexual harassment in 2024, alleging that the rapper frequently demanded sex, sent explicit messages, and once masturbated in front of her after locking her in a private jet cabin.

In July 2025, she amended the lawsuit to add even more serious allegations of sexual assault and human trafficking. According to Billboard, the lawsuit stated that Ye "fondled her regularly," attempted digital penetration, and "orally raped her without consent." She also claimed that he "recruited and lured her with false promises of career advancement in exchange for consent to sexual contact and used force and coercion to ensure compliance." One of the alleged assaults occurred at a party co-hosted by Sean "Diddy" Combs, Pitchfork reported.

Ye's spokesperson dismissed all allegations as "exaggerated" and "provably false." In a statement to Billboard from July 2025, he said: "Courts are no place to indulge in illusions and mental disorders." He added: "We are ready to destroy Ms. Pisciotta's lies before a jury; an acquittal is so inevitable that even she, lost in a fog of fantasy, should see it."

The settlement was reached without admission of liability, and Fudali told Billboard briefly: "The matter is resolved." Ye still faces several other lawsuits from former employees, ranging from hostile work environment to unpaid wages. The first trial in that series, involving a former construction manager injured at his Malibu villa, ended in spring 2026 with a jury verdict of $140,000 in favor of the worker.

Ye, whose career has been marked by racist and antisemitic controversies, recently apologized for such behavior in a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal, citing an untreated head injury. The settlement with Pisciotta is one of several reached, including those with former teachers of his now-closed private school, Donda Academy.