Kanye West Accused of Drugging and Sexual Assault at Diddy Studio Session.
Kanye West's ex-assistant has filed a lawsuit, claiming he drugged and sexually assaulted her during a studio session that he co-hosted with Sean "Diddy" Combs. Lauren Pisciotta, who was employed by West from 2021 to 2022, states in a revised complaint according to California court documents that West engaged in "sexual battery" after giving her a drink that was tampered with.
Her allegations are part of a prior wrongful termination lawsuit against West, where she asserted that she endured explicit messages, pornographic images, videos, and phone calls from him before her dismissal. Pisciotta started her role with West in July 2021, assisting with his Yeezy women’s fashion line and collaborating on his 2021 album, Donda.
A lawyer for West has previously refuted Pisciotta's other claims from her initial complaint filed in June 2024, and mentioned that "Ye plans to take legal action against Ms. Pisciotta."
According to the amended complaint and filed on October 8 in Los Angeles County Court, Pisciotta claims that prior to her employment with West, the rapper and producer invited her to a studio session in Santa Monica, California. During this session, "drinks were served to others present, followed by a declaration that everyone needed to drink if they wished to remain."
The lawsuit states that the studio session was co-hosted by West and Combs, and Pisciotta attended with a "former artist management client." While Combs is mentioned in the amended complaint as a co-host of the event, Pisciotta is not currently accusing the former music mogul—who is now incarcerated awaiting trial for sex trafficking and racketeering—of any misconduct.
Related: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Accused of Sexual Abuse of 9-Year Old
The filing alleges that Pisciotta's drink — allegedly served to her by a studio assistant at the request of West — was "laced with an unidentifiable drug," before she felt disoriented after "a few small sips."
"As plaintiff began to slip into an altered and heavily impaired state, she felt less in control of her body and speech, and that is where plaintiff's memories of that night escape her," the complaint reads.
Pisciotta reported that the next day she woke up feeling "physically ill and confused," experiencing "immense embarrassment" for not being able to remember what transpired after she had the drink, as stated in the filing. For years, West’s former assistant believed she had been drugged and embarrassed herself at a work event.
Much later, after West employed Pisciotta as an assistant and Chief of Staff, as well as for A&R duties, she claims the rapper mentioned that night for the first time. During their discussion, West allegedly said they "did kind of hook up a little one time," referring to the incident that occurred in the Santa Monica studio where the alleged assault happened. When Pisciotta mentioned to West that she had no recollection of the studio session, West reportedly laughed and remarked that "women love to say they don't remember," according to the complaint.
"Up until that very point, right before that very conversation, Plaintiff was unaware that she had been subjected to gender violence and sexual battery on that studio night by KANYE WEST a.k.a YE," the document reads.
According to the amended complaint, Pisciotta allegedly felt "overcome with immense shame, discomfort and utter disgust."
In the complaint, Pisciotta claimed that in July 2021, during an "album workshop" at the St. Regis Hotel in San Francisco, West aggressively knocked on her hotel room door at 6 a.m., waking her up. He then forced his way into her room, stating he needed to use her shower because his was broken. Pisciotta further alleged that West later approached her, dropped his towel, and attempted to thrust his naked body and penis towards her face, disregarding her requests for him to stop. According to the complaint, West quickly left after saying "sorry" and continued with his day as if nothing had happened.
The complaint states that Pisciotta, who has accused West of sending her inappropriate messages and terminating her from her Chief of Staff role just a month after her promotion in September 2022, "could not bear the thought of working for the man who had sexually assaulted her while she was under the influence, and who then successfully drew her back into his sphere with a job offer, only to assault her again."
Additionally, West is dealing with another lawsuit that was filed in April 2024 by a former employee who alleged he experienced “severe discrimination [and] harassment” during his time at Yeezy and Donda Academy. This week, another ex-staffer also initiated legal action, claiming emotional distress, retaliation, and violations of labor laws.
Related: Sean 'Diddy' Combs Legal Timeline
