Kanye West and his former chief of staff Milo Yiannopoulos are being sued by former employees who claim they fostered a toxic work environment while managing the YZYVSN streaming service app. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, alleges a range of abuses, including exposing minors to pornographic material and subjecting workers to racial harassment.
West launched the YZYVSN app in spring 2024 to promote his albums “Vultures” and “Vultures 2” independently of platforms like Tidal, Spotify, and Apple Music. According to TMZ, the lawsuit states that West and Yiannopoulos employed an international team of developers, including several Black individuals and minors as young as 14, under harsh conditions.
The employees, who worked remotely through Discord, Zoom, and Slack, were reportedly forced to endure long hours without pay, racial slurs, and threats.
The management allegedly referred to team members as “slaves” and “new slaves,” while degrading them based on race, gender, sexual orientation, and national origin. The lawsuit also accuses West’s wife, Bianca Censori, of exacerbating the hostile work environment by sending pornographic videos to the staff, accessible to minors working on the project. Although Censori is not named as a defendant, her actions are mentioned as contributing to the employees’ distress.
The employees were promised $120,000 upon the app’s completion in April 2024 if they agreed to the work terms and did not complain. However, the lawsuit claims that this payment was never made, despite the employees meeting their obligations. Furthermore, it alleges that employees were coerced into signing non-disclosure agreements and minors were forced to sign “volunteer” agreements under the threat of termination and non-payment.
The lawsuit brings to light severe allegations of misconduct and exploitation within the YZYVSN project. As the legal proceedings unfold, they may reveal more about the working conditions under West and Yiannopoulos’ management, potentially impacting their reputations and careers.
