Kanye West to Testify in $800k Battle Involving Ex Business Partner
Kanye West will be called to testify in court as part of the lawsuit accusing him and his team of causing extensive damage to a Downtown Los Angeles building, only days after supporting Diddy in court, Us Weekly can exclusively report.
According to court documents obtained by Us, West, 48, is on the list of witnesses who will testify in the lawsuit brought by a landlord named Art City Center against The Gap.
The musician will take the stand for at least two hours to speak about the damage done to the building and his interactions with The Gap.
West and The Gap had a partnership back in 2020. The retail giant leased a commercial space for the entertainer and his Yeezy team.
A former Yeezy employee has filed a lawsuit against Kanye West, alleging discrimination and a hostile work environment. According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly, Murphy Aficionado joined Yeezy as a project manager in October 2022 and worked within the company for several months before he allegedly experienced an “unlawful termination.” During his employment, […]
Per court documents, The Gap leased the spot for $104,666.67 per month in rent and another $8,333 per month in parking costs.
The partnership fell apart in 2022 after West publicly trashed the company, and he made antisemitic remarks. The Gap ended up removing Yeezy products from the stores.
In the lawsuit filed by Art City, the landlord claimed various “significant, unapproved modification(s)” were made to the building.
Kanye West Gotham/GC Images
Art City demanded $800,000 in damages from The Gap. In response, The Gap denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
The Gap then filed a countersuit against West for $2 million in damages. Lawyers for the company argued the deal they had with West had a provision stating he would be responsible for any claims brought due to acts by Yeezy or its employees.
In the countersuit, The Gap claimed West made the changes to the building without consulting executives at the clothing company.
“The performance of the work not only breached the Strategic Agreement, but the manner of preparing for and performing the work caused the need for the repairs and restoration alleged in the complaint,” the countersuit alleged.
The Gap demanded West and Yeezy be liable for any damages awarded to Art City in the legal battle. On top of that, the company asked for a seven-figure judgment against West.
“By making and not repairing or restoring the foregoing alterations of the Premises that [West] made without Gap’s participation or approval, [West] breached the Strategic Agreement and directly and proximately caused Gap to incur expenses to repair and restore the premises,” the suit read.
West denied all allegations of wrongdoing. His lawyer argued, “Gap’s claims fail because the June 25, 2020, Strategic Agreement between Gap and Yeezy Supply (Strategic Agreement”) is invalid or voidable.” West argued the deal was void due to The Gap’s alleged breaches of the deal.
Kanye West David Livingston/Getty Images
His lawyer added, “Many of the modifications complained of were in fact beneficial to the Premises and all were carried out for the benefit of the Strategic Agreement with Gap. Gap must have anticipated that modifications such as were made to the premises are typical for this type of business.”
Last month, The Gap revealed it had reached a secret settlement with West and dropped the counterclaim weeks before the trial.
The trial is expected to start this week, with only Art City taking on The Gap, but with West expected to attend.
In hot water. Kanye West is being sued by two former teachers from his school, Donda Academy, over several health, safety and educational violations. Plaintiffs Cecilia Hailey and Chekarey Byers filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, April 6. Hired in November 2022 and January 2023, respectively, the pair claim that the […]
As Us previously reported, West, who had been keeping a low profile for weeks, supported Diddy by appearing at his trial in New York last week.
The court appearance came weeks after West issued an apology for his past anti-Semitic remarks.
“I love all people,” West wrote on May 22. “I am done with antisemitism. Share peace. GOD CALLS FOR PEACE. The earth itself is in God’s kingdom.”
As Us previously reported, earlier this month, it was reported West legally changed his name from Ye to Ye Ye after one of his executives filed documents listing the name. However, his rep shut down the report.
“There is no ‘Ye Ye,’” West’s rep said in a statement to Us on Monday, June 16. The rep said the mixup was due to, “an oddity created by an online form that required something in both first name and last name fields.”
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