Kanye West became a defendant in another lawsuit due to his long-standing problems with the paparazzi.
A paparazzo named Nichol Lechmanik sued Kanye for assault, battery, negligence and violation of her civil rights on Wednesday (May 31). The photographer and her attorney Gloria Allred announced the lawsuit at a press conference on Thursday (June 1).
“The incident with Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, was traumatic to me,” Lechmanik said. “He reached into my car as if he was going to hit me. He grabbed my phone out of my hand and then angrily threw it into the street. He caused me so much fear, I have not been able to be the same since then. His actions have interfered with my ability to work.”
Earlier this year, Kanye confronted Lechmanik and a different paparazzo when they tailed his car. Video of the incident surfaced online.
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office declined to file criminal charges against Ye. Allred said Lechmanik wanted “justice,” which is why she pursued civil action.
“Ye has a prior history of assaulting photographers, and we want him to be accountable,” Allred told reporters. “We are bringing this case because Nicole wants Ye to know that what he is doing to photographers is wrong. And in Nicole’s case, it was harmful to her physically, emotionally and financially.”
Allred previously represented photographer Daniel Ramos, who sued Kanye for assault. Ye and Ramos settled out of court in 2015.
