West Faces On-Set Allegations
Former Model Sues Kanye West Alleging Choking and Sexual Assault During 2010 Video Shoot
Key Points
According to An’s account on the BBC’s “Fame Under Fire” podcast, she says West made her feel blindsided before the alleged choking, recalling: “I didn’t know what was gonna happen. I was given no direction. I was just told to sit in this chair.”
In her lawsuit filings as reported by multiple outlets, An alleged West staged “his own production” in a manner “similar to pornographic gagging/deep throat/BDSM fetishes.”
One report says An claims West shouted something like: “this is art, I’m Picasso” during the shoot.
Additional context: West reportedly did not appear in the released version of the La Roux “In for the Kill” video; instead, he is described as a guest rapper on a remix of the song.
Jennifer An, a former contestant on "America's Next Top Model," is suing Kanye West over an alleged 2010 assault on a music video set. An claims West choked her with both hands and put his fingers in her mouth during filming at New York's Chelsea Hotel, leaving her feeling, in her own words, "suffocated, unsure, and scared." BBC News reported An shared the account publicly on its "Fame Under Fire" podcast on June 10, 2026.
The lawsuit, filed in November 2024 under New York City's Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act, also names Universal Music Group as a defendant. West's attorneys deny the sexual-abuse framing. They call the alleged conduct an "intense and provocative theatrical performance" meant to mimic a scene from the film "American Psycho." West has moved to dismiss the case on First Amendment grounds, arguing the encounter was protected artistic expression.
How West Allegedly Took Over the Set
The shoot was for La Roux's "In for the Kill" remix video in September 2010. An was hired as a background model. According to Rolling Stone Canada, the crew reportedly stopped working mid-shoot when word spread that West was arriving. Models were lined up in a hallway, and West allegedly selected a handful of girls himself — An among them.
An told BBC News she had no idea what to expect. "I didn't know what was gonna happen. I was given no direction. I was just told to sit in this chair," she said. According to her account, West could not remember his lines, shouted "cut," and repositioned a chair so that she was out of camera frame — with West standing behind her, out of her sight. The alleged choking and mouth actions then followed while cameras were rolling.
'This Is Art' — The Claims West Made On Set
According to reports from The Blast and People, An's lawsuit alleges West shouted something to the effect of "This is art. This is f***ing art. I am like Picasso" during the alleged assault. Her lawsuit describes the acts as staging "his own production" in a manner she compared to "pornographic gagging/deep throat/BDSM fetishes." West did not appear in the final released version of the La Roux video; he was a guest rapper on the remix only.
After the shoot, An says she asked La Roux to remove the footage. The band obliged. In March 2026, court filings revealed Instagram messages from La Roux singer Elly Jackson to An. Jackson wrote that she "could never forget" the incident, calling it "horrific," and offered to be a witness — saying she had "no problem being honest about what I saw," according to Rolling Stone Canada.
West's 'Free Speech' Defense and the Legal Battle Ahead
West's legal team argues the alleged conduct was protected under the First Amendment as expressive art. They claim An "never voiced discomfort" during the shoot, according to Us Weekly. His attorneys frame the incident as transgressive performance, using "American Psycho" as a creative reference point. If the court accepts this argument, legal analysts warn it could set a troubling precedent for background talent on film and music video sets.
An's attorney Jesse Weinstein rejected that framing directly. "We refuse to adopt his idea that sexually [assaultive behavior] is art," Weinstein said, according to HotNewHipHop. The case was made possible by New York City's Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act, which allows survivors to sue over gender-based violence regardless of when the incident occurred. A new 18-month lookback window opened on March 1, 2026, with a hard cutoff of July 29, 2027. The motion to dismiss remains unresolved as of June 2026.
UMG Named as Defendant for Alleged Institutional Failure
The lawsuit does not target West alone. Universal Music Group is also named as a defendant. An's legal team, Phillips & Associates, alleges UMG failed to investigate the 2010 incident and took steps to keep it from becoming public, according to TheWrap. This framing places the case within a broader conversation about duty of care for gig workers and background performers in the entertainment industry.
Legal analysts say the La Roux singer's corroborating messages have shifted the case's dynamics. Jackson's private acknowledgment that the incident was "horrific" directly undercuts the defense's claim that all parties understood the shoot as a mutually agreed-upon theatrical performance. West is also facing separate lawsuits from former employees — and was ordered to pay $76,000 in legal fees in one unrelated case after a dismissed suit was ruled "frivolous," according to HotNewHipHop.
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