Kanye West seemingly rarely makes the news for his music anymore, and has found himself in yet more legal hot water thanks to his online antics.
On Friday (June 9), TMZ reported that the rapper and producer is in trouble yet again for posting an image on social media without the photographer’s permission. As a result, he now has another lawsuit on his hands.
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Last September, Vogue contributing editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson put Ye on blast for wearing and promoting shirts with a “White Lives Matter” slogan at his Yeezy Season 9 fashion show in Paris.
The controversial garment was seen by many as a disservice to the Black Lives Matter campaign that seeks to combat racism and police brutality in the United States and beyond.
In response to the criticism by Karefa-Johnson, Kanye fired back in a since-deleted Instagram post. In it, he used a photograph of her and captioned it: “This is not a fashion person You speak on Ye Ima speak on you.”
In a subsequent post, the Yeezy founder zoomed in on her footwear from the same image with the caption: “I KNOOOOOOW ANNA HAAAATES THESE BOOTS,” referring to longtime Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.
Michaela Efford, who took the photo, says she never gave Ye the green light to use it. She also claims Kanye’s disparaging use of the image impacted its marketability, making it difficult for the photographer to monetize it.
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She is now seeking compensation through court proceedings, although an exact figure is unknown.
The lawsuit comes just days after Kanye West was sued by Timanii Meeks, a former academic instructor at his Donda Academy. She is the third ex-teacher from his Christian school to take legal action against him, alleging that she was fired from her role for informing the authorities that the building was unsafe.
Attorney Ron Zambrano said the following about the ordeal: “Ms. Meeks was fired months before Cecilia Hailey and Chekarey Byers were terminated but all three clearly witnessed the same illegal and disturbing code violations and conduct at the school, and all three were given the same retaliatory and unlawful treatment merely for trying to stand up for the students’ rights to a meaningful education.”
Not long before that, Ye was sued by photographer Nichol Lechmanik for assault, battery and negligence over an altercation earlier this year. When the Chicago native noticed her recording him on her smartphone, he snatched and tossed the device, which she claims left her feeling “traumatized and humiliated.”
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Lechmanik’s business partner captured footage of the incident, which showed Ye approaching their car window after realizing he and his wife Bianca Censori were being tailed. “You all ain’t gonna run up on me like that,” he can be heard telling her in the clip. “If I say stop, stop with your cameras.”
