Music mogul Kanye West has found himself in another legal battle.
A volunteer at the Los Angeles Mission, a nonprofit organization that extends assistance to the homeless, has taken the rapper to federal court, according to RadarOnline. The conflict stems from West’s visit to the mission in 2021, where he attended a Thanksgiving event.
The volunteer, identified as Graham, claims to be an “event planner volunteer” at the Los Angeles Mission, which is dedicated to providing meals, hot showers and shelter for the homeless.
Inside the Lawsuit
In his lawsuit, Graham alleges that the former billionaire made an appearance at the Los Angeles Mission’s Thanksgiving event on Nov. 24, 2021. During this event, Graham recorded a video of West delivering a speech. However, he claims that West subsequently acquired his video and used it for promotional purposes related to his fashion brand and music endeavors.
The lawsuit states that West profited from these activities and that “[West], without permission or authorization from [Graham], actively copied and/or displayed [Graham’s] video on the Account and engaged in this misconduct knowingly and in violation of the United States copyright laws.”
Graham said that West’s use of the footage compromised his ability to sell the material, as it was no longer exclusive. The lawsuit didn’t specify damages or the monetary amount the plaintiff is seeking to obtain from West.
During the Thanksgiving event, West addressed the crowd on the subject of spirituality, saying, “The narrative God wants is to see that we can be redeemed in all these relationships. We’ve made mistakes. I’ve made mistakes. I’ve publicly done things that were not acceptable as a husband, but right now today, for whatever reason — I didn’t know I was going to be in front of this mic — but I’m here to change the narrative.”
At the time of the event, West publicly expressed his intention to support the homeless population in Los Angeles and met with Los Angeles Mission’s CEO, Troy Vaughn.
However, recent reports from TMZ in late 2022 suggest that the Los Angeles Mission was growing increasingly frustrated with West for not fulfilling his commitments to assist the homeless.
“We’re told folks from the Mission have attempted to contact Ye several times since the meeting, to no avail,” the outlet reported.
Additionally, it is worth noting that West is simultaneously contending with a separate $2 million lawsuit filed by former business partners at The Gap.
This legal dispute has added another layer to the multifaceted life of Kanye West, a prominent figure in the world of music and fashion.
West’s Legal and Financial Setbacks
In the past year, Ye has faced several setbacks with business deals after making anti-Semitic remarks. Forbes reported that the rapper and designer had dropped off the billionaire’s list after companies from his most profitable business ventures decided to sever ties, which included his Yeezy collaboration with Adidas, in addition to a deal with French luxury group LVMH that specializes in goods such as Moët, Hennessy and Louis Vuitton.
