Kanye West rape accuser says she was forced into hiding after swatting threats and racist abuse

Highlights:

• Lauren Pisciotta, Kanye West’s former assistant, has gone into hiding after accusing him of sexual assault and trafficking.
• Her amended lawsuit includes claims of rape, harassment, stalking, and being a victim of swatting incidents.
• West, also known as Ye, denies all allegations and labels them “fantasy fiction.”
• The civil case is set to return to court in the US next month, while Pisciotta’s lawyer says she fears for her safety.

Lauren Pisciotta, the former personal assistant to rapper Kanye West, has reportedly gone into hiding after filing explosive legal claims of sexual assault, trafficking, and harassment against the artist. Pisciotta’s attorney, Arick Fudali, told the BBC that the 36-year-old has scrubbed her online presence and is now living in fear as the civil case builds momentum in court.

West, who now goes by the name Ye, has dismissed all the claims in the lawsuit, calling them “fantasy fiction.” The case is scheduled to be heard in a US court next month.

Kanye West’s former assistant says he raped her and tried to silence herGetty Images

Who is Lauren Pisciotta and what does her lawsuit allege?

Lauren Pisciotta began working for West in 2021. In June 2024, she filed a civil suit accusing him of sexual harassment, stalking, wrongful termination, and breach of contract. In an updated filing on 10 July 2025, Pisciotta expanded the claims to include sex trafficking and rape, alleging a pattern of escalating abuse throughout her time as his employee.

One of the most disturbing claims involves an alleged incident during the production of West’s DONDA album. According to the filing, West entered her hotel room under the pretence of needing a shower, then exited the bathroom naked and raped her orally.

Ye accused of rape and racism by ex-assistant now in hiding before trialGetty Images

What is swatting and how was it used against her?

The updated lawsuit accuses West of orchestrating “swatting,” the act of making false emergency calls to dispatch law enforcement to someone’s location. Pisciotta claims that just six days after filing her original complaint, her home was raided by armed police from the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office following a false report that she had murdered her mother.

She also says she was subjected to multiple unprompted police visits and received anonymous threatening phone calls warning her not to pursue legal action.

Kanye West lawsuit claims include rape swatting antisemitism and workplace abuseGetty Images

What are the claims of racism and antisemitism in Ye’s workplace?

Pisciotta’s lawsuit alleges that West frequently exposed his staff to antisemitic and racist behaviour. She claims he routinely used antisemitic slurs, interrogated employees about their religious background, and even demanded staff draw swastikas in the workplace.

Her lawyer further elaborated in a podcast appearance, stating that West has publicly referred to himself as a “walking Me Too” figure and released a song titled Heil Hitler. Fudali argued that West’s public comments give credibility to the private behaviour described in the lawsuit.

Kanye West’s ex-assistant alleges rape forced swastikas and police harassmentGetty Images

How has Kanye West responded to the accusations?

West has denied all the allegations, and his legal team has strongly pushed back on Pisciotta’s credibility. A spokesperson told USA Today that this is the fourth iteration of her complaint, with each version contradicting the previous one. The latest update, they claimed, is a “breathless new instalment of fantasy fiction.”

“We stand ready to annihilate Ms. Pisciotta’s tall tales before a jury, an exoneration so inevitable that even she, lost in her fog of fantasy, must surely see it coming,” the spokesperson said.

While West’s team has not responded directly to media inquiries following the most recent court filing, the rapper’s past social media posts and controversial lyrics are expected to be presented during the trial as circumstantial evidence.