Former America's Next Top Model contestant Jennifer An has filed a civil lawsuit against rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, alleging he choked and sexually assaulted her on a New York music video set in 2010.
The civil suit, filed in late 2024 under New York City's Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act, has not yet gone to trial.
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West's lawyers filed a motion to dismiss the case earlier this year.
An recounted the alleged encounter on the BBC Fame Under Fire podcast, stating she was 24 when hired for La Roux's "In For The Kill" music video at the Chelsea Hotel.
West allegedly took over the set.
The model stated that the crew suddenly stopped working to prepare for West's arrival.
She was selected as one of three girls to appear in a scene before West altered the shooting plan.
"I didn't know what was gonna happen," said An, describing the moment she was positioned in a chair in front of the camera.
An stated that West did not provide direction or speak to her before he unexpectedly initiated physical contact while the cameras were rolling.
"I was given no direction. I was just told to sit in this chair," said An.
The model detailed the escalation of physical contact, noting that multiple people present on the set observed the interaction without intervening.
"All of a sudden he just reaches a hand out and starts choking me, and I'm just not sure what's happening," said An.
An alleged that the rapper used both hands to choke her, smeared her makeup, and inserted his fingers into her mouth to simulate oral sex.
"And then, he pulled his other hand out and starts choking me with both hands, and then starts smearing my makeup all over my face and sticking his hands inside of my mouth," said An.
The model explained her response on the set, noting that fear of losing her employment prevented her from attempting to halt the interaction.
"No, I didn't because I didn't know what I was doing... I was more frozen, it's like 'I could lose my job'," said An.
According to An, the encounter concluded abruptly when West shouted an artistic comparison and immediately exited the filming location.
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"This is art, I'm Picasso," yelled West, according to An.
Following the statement, West indicated he had obtained the required footage before leaving the premises. "OK, I got what I want," said West, according to An.
An disclosed that she immediately spoke with La Roux singer Elly Jackson, who apologized and assured her that the specific footage would never be broadcast or shared.
"And then I was like, 'you're not gonna air that, right? Like, you're not gonna share that with anyone, because I can't have my mum see that'.
And she [Jackson] was like, no, of course not, I would never," said An.
In 2024, An contacted Jackson via Instagram direct messages to ask if she remembered the incident. Jackson's written responses have been submitted to the court as corroborating evidence.
"I could never forget that, it was horrific," said Elly Jackson in an Instagram message.
In the text exchange seen by the podcast, Jackson expressed that West acted intentionally and recounted a statement West whispered to her after the encounter.
"[West] knew exactly what he was doing, he thought it was funny," said Jackson in an Instagram message.
According to the submitted messages, West commented to Jackson regarding the societal impact of his actions on women.
"I bet you think I just put women back about 10 years," whispered West, according to Jackson.
Jackson detailed her immediate retort to West's comment before the rapper left the set. "You just put women back about 500 years," responded Jackson.
Legal representatives for West do not deny the physical encounter occurred but argued in court documents that it constituted an intense theatrical performance emulating the film American Psycho.
West's lawyers additionally argued that the rapper should be protected by the First Amendment.
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BBC News reported contacting his representatives and Universal Music Group for further comment.
