Kanye West Will Likely Have to Represent Himself Amid Lawsuits, Expert Says
As Kanye West’s online rants and lawsuits land him in the news, the controversial rapper is likely seeking legal counsel. West has reportedly faced immense difficulty retaining lawyers and may not have luck in the future. Austin-based lawyer Holly Davis predicts that West may have to represent himself in the future.
Kanye West may have to represent himself, says lawyer
West is currently facing a number of lawsuits from former business partners and employees. Over the summer, his relationship with his lawyer, Brian Brumfield, ended.
“[Ye] terminated relationship on 6/21/2024,” Brumfield said at the time, per InTouch Weekly. “[Ye] also will not speak to counsel and [Ye] refuses to pay counsel as well.”
His lawyer, Manoj Shah, added that West “faced extreme hardship and difficulty retaining litigation counsel, due to exceedingly negative media coverage of Defendants.”
Holly Davis, a founding partner of the Austin, TX-based Kirker-Davis LLP, believes that the challenges in finding representation will only continue for West. She predicts that he will have to represent himself in he future.
“Kanye will always find some lawyer to represent him, but whether this lawyer will remain on the case will be the issue,” she said. “Most of the time lawyers learn that Kanye does not follow their legal advice, putting them in a precarious position. He will likely be representing himself, whether he has a lawyer or not, because he cannot put his impulsivity and opinions second to legal advice.”
What lawsuits does Kanye West face?
Just days ago, a former Yeezy employee filed a lawsuit against West. In the lawsuit, the anonymous former employee listed 12 causes of action against West, including wrongful termination and harassment. The plaintiff claimed he targeted her because she was Jewish.
“Unable to control his prejudice, [West] rewarded Plaintiff with the same antisemitic vitriol he recently condemned to the public,” the lawsuit says, per Rolling Stone. “[West] carried out a calculated campaign to threaten and psychologically torment Jewish people around him, specifically Plaintiff.”
West also faces lawsuits over his failed Christian school, Donda Academy, and from his former employee, Lauren Pisciotta. Pisciotta alleges that he “touched, groped, fondled, grabbed and forced himself in and on” multiple occasions (per USA Today).
He has reportedly been out of the country to avoid lawsuits
West and his wife, Bianca Censori, have been traveling for months and currently reside in Tokyo. Sources say he is spending time abroad in order to avoid his legal troubles.
“Kanye’s reasoning for not being [in America] has nothing to do with his children and has everything to do with the multiple lawsuits that he is facing in the States,” a source told the Daily Mail.
After Sean “Diddy” Combs’ arrest, West reportedly believes something similar could happen to him. He considered Combs a close friend and has publicly called for his release.
