A former employee accused Kanye West of anti-Black racism in a lawsuit filed on Tuesday, and also claimed that he had witnessed West’s homophobic and antisemitic outbursts.
The employee, Trevor Phillips, who is Black, alleged that West had berated him and humiliated him in front of others, and that several employees noted that West treated Black employees worse than white ones.
“During his tenure, Phillips never witnessed West yell and berate a white person, but on countless occasions he saw and/or personally experienced Kanye frenziedly yell at Black people,” the lawsuit states.
Phillips was hired in November 2022 to work for Yeezy, West’s fashion brand, and also worked at Donda Academy, his private school. According to the complaint, his job included overseeing a project growing cotton and other crops as part of a plan to develop a self-sustaining community.
At the time, West’s career was in free-fall following a series of antisemitic remarks on Twitter and in interviews. Adidas had dropped a lucrative deal with him the previous month. According to the suit, West also engaged in antisemitic tirades during staff meetings at Donda Academy, including once in the presence of two children.
Phillips was present when West said things like “the Jews are out to get me” and “the Jews are stealing all my money,” the suit alleges. He also told the two children present at a meeting that he wanted to shave their heads, and that he planned to build a jail at the school, and the children could be locked in cages, the suit alleges.
Shortly after Phillips was hired, West invited him to a meeting at the Nobu hotel in Malibu, where West allegedly praised Hitler and said he hated Jewish people, according to the suit. He also stated that the “Jews are working with Adidas to freeze up my money,” the suit alleges.
According to the complaint, West demanded that the hotel staff put on “The Batman,” starring Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz, and that he and Phillips watched the movie with the volume turned to zero. The suit states that West lay flat on his back on the bed and mimicked masturbating while the movie was playing, and talked about having orgies.
The suit also quotes West as attacking gay people during the meeting, saying that they are “controlled by Bill Gates so they don’t have children for population control.”
The suit recounts other alleged discriminatory behavior over the ensuing weeks, including a claim that West ordered a Black security guard to shave his dreadlocks or be fired.
Phillips alleges in May 2023, West publicly humiliated him during a “Sunday service” at Donda Academy, which is described as a “pseudo-religious sermon where Kanye and a choir plays gospel music.” According to the suit, West singled out Phillips and shouted at him — with more than 100 people looking on — that he was “fucking fired,” and that he should “get the fuck out of here.”
West appeared to be dissatisfied with the school’s garden, and Phillips sought to explain that he was not responsible for it. Phillips spoke with West, telling him, as tears streamed down his face, that he was grateful for the opportunity to work for him, the suit states. West responded by cursing at him and throwing a temper tantrum, during which he uprooted some of the plants.
West also threatened to punch Phillips in the face, the lawsuit states. He then had an apparent change of heart. Punching one fist in the air in imitation of Mario’s celebratory dance in the Mario Bros. video game, West said that he would give Phillips “one more chance.”
He then directed him to drive to a farm in Fillmore, Calif., talk to the owner, and report back to West with a recommendation about whether or not to buy it, according to the suit.
Phillips’ went home and broke down crying, according to the suit.
“His dream of working for someone he once admired was like his spirit — crushed,” the suit states. “While Kanye considered himself a god or a king, in reality he was an ill-tempered tyrant and despot, who sought to mentally obliterate and control those around him.”
Phillips went to the farm later that day, toured it, and gave West his impressions. West said he would buy it and put Phillips in charge, the lawsuit states. However, the following day, West texted him: “You still fired. You not on the level.”
Donda Academy has since shut down, though there has been talk of reopening it. The lawsuit seeks an injunction barring West from owning and operating a school.
The suit also states claims of race discrimination, retaliation and wrongful termination.
