Ye (the artist formerly known as Kanye West) is facing a major discrimination lawsuit after a former African American Donda Academy security guard says a jury should award him roughly $23 million in damages.
Full story below.
Benjamin Provo laid out the potential award in new court documents obtained by TMZ. He originally filed the lawsuit in 2024 accusing Ye and his management team of treating Black employees worse than their White counterparts.
One central dispute involves Provo’s hair, alleging employees were ordered to shave their heads. After the man refused because he wore dreadlocks for religious reasons, he says he lost his job due to the failure to comply.
Ye has not only denied firing Provo over his dreadlocks, but the rapper-fashion mogul’s attorneys have also argued the security guard technically worked for a third-party staffing company rather than directly for West.
The hairstyle allegation is only one part of the complaint, however.
Provo also claims Ye frequently yelled at Black employees while treating White workers differently. What’s more, the terminated security guard alleges books by prominent Black figures, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., were removed from Donda Academy.
The case has produced testimony from West’s former Chief-of-Staff Milo Yiannopoulos, who reportedly testified that Yeezy employees had to accept Ye’s provocative way of discussing religion.
Both sides are fighting over what jurors can hear. Ye wants some of his past social media posts praising Hitler kept out of the trial, but Provo wants to use that material as evidence.
The case goes before a jury in October.
Your thoughts?
Oh, the irony. But it usually is the ones who swirl who bring you the anti black bull 💩. Wait till that wife of his walks away with half, and remarries one of her own people. Ask Tina Turner, Twitch, and all of “Michael Jackson’s kids” to name a few. It’s only a matter of time.