Kanye West sued by ex-Yeezy employee claiming star humiliated and threatened him

A former employee of Kanye West has sued the rapper claiming that the star humiliated and threatened him and has accused him of a number of instances of discrimination and antisemitism.

Trevor Phillips filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday and said that he was hired in November 2022, around the time West infamously made a series of antisemitic remarks that put the rapper’s businesses in jeopardy.

The former employee is claiming discrimination, a hostile work environment, whistleblower retaliation and unsafe working conditions, among other allegations, according to the Los Angeles Times, which obtained the lawsuit.

The lawsuit reportedly claims that once Mr Phillips pushed back against West’s “bigotry” the rapper “responded mercilessly, with incessant harassment, humiliation, and attempts to both mentally control, and destroy Phillips. ... Kanye even threatened Phillips with physical violence.”

In the lawsuit, Mr Phillips said he began working for the megastar’s apparel brand Yeezy, overseeing projects related to growing cotton and other plants to use as materials within the clothing lines, with the aim of creating a “self-sustainable Yeezy community.”

The former employee was then brought on to work for Donda Acadamy, a private school founded by West, 46, in California.

Mr Phillips’s own child and younger brother attended the school, but while he was working there, he overheard Mr West on one occasion tell students that he “wanted them to shave their heads and that he intended to put a jail at the school — and that they could be locked in cages,” the suit said, according to the LA Times.

Mr Phillips made further allegations in the suit, such as claiming that the rapper would make comments about Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler and make other antisemitic remarks.

He alleged, according to the outlet, that West said to him during a meeting “Hitler was great. Hitler was an innovator! He invented so many things. He’s the reason we have cars.”

The lawsuit also alleges that the megastar said, “I am going for the gays! First the Jews, then the gays.”

Mr Phillips’s lawsuit also claims that West made antisemitic comments in front of staff members at the private school, including, “the Jews are out to get me” and “the Jews are stealing all my money,” the New York Timesreported.

The lawsuit also contained a screenshot of a text message, which allegedly was sent by West to Mr Phillips over an issue he had with how he was carrying out a task.

“I am on some complete Hitler-level stuff,” West allegedly said, then adding, “Minus the gas chambers.”

It was also alleged in the complaint, the outlet said, that West treated Black employees at Donda Academy “considerably worse than white employees.”

In one instance in May 2023, he claimed that West confronted him about a garden project in front of other people, telling him, “I was going to punch you in the face,” the LA Times reports.

The former employee is now seeking damages upwards of $35,000, the complaint states.

“By filing this lawsuit, we hope our injured client’s rights are vindicated, and that the famous artist Mr West understands that his messages - which we alleged preach discrimination, antisemitism and Hitler-love - have no place in the world,” Mr Phillips’ attorney, Carney R. Shegerian, said in a statement to USA TODAY.

The Independent has contacted a representative for West and Mr Phillips’ attorney for comment.