Ye, the musician formerly known as Kanye West, is facing a lawsuit from a paparazzi photographer who accuses him of assault, battery, and negligence.
The incident in question occurred when Ye was captured on camera snatching the photographer’s phone and hurling it into the street. Nichol Lechmanik, the photographer, asserts that she was merely fulfilling her duties as a celebrity photojournalist by capturing content of Ye.
During a press conference on Thursday, photographer Nichol Lechmanik detailed a troubling encounter with Ye (formerly Kanye West) that led her to file a lawsuit against him. Lechmanik claimed that Ye reached into her car as if to strike her, forcefully snatched her phone from her hand, and angrily threw it into the street. The incident, which occurred on January 27, 2023, outside a sports academy in Ventura County, California, where Ye’s daughter was playing basketball, left Lechmanik in a state of fear and distress.
Lechmanik filed the lawsuit with the Ventura County Superior Court, as documented by Variety. Prior to taking legal action, she had contacted emergency services and filed a police report. However, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office revealed earlier this year that Lechmanik had chosen not to press charges against Ye following their investigation. Nevertheless, in her lawsuit, Lechmanik is seeking damages, citing significant mental and emotional anguish as well as lost earnings due to her inability to carry out her professional duties. The lawsuit characterizes Ye’s behavior as deliberate, reckless, and malicious.
According to the lawsuit, Lechmanik had captured photos of Ye’s ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, entering the sports academy when she noticed Ye engaged in a heated confrontation with another photographer on the street. Concerned for the photographer’s safety, given Ye’s reputation for violence against paparazzi, Lechmanik began recording the incident with her cell phone from the safety of her car. As Ye approached her vehicle, exhibiting aggressive behavior, she became increasingly nervous. The lawsuit alleges that Ye verbally confronted Lechmanik, expressing his dissatisfaction with the presence of cameras and insisting that she stop filming. In response, Lechmanik asserted that, as a celebrity, Ye should expect such attention, emphasizing that she was simply performing her professional duties.
The situation escalated when Ye reached into Lechmanik’s car and forcibly took her phone, causing her to fear for her safety. He proceeded to hurl the device onto the street, endangering passing traffic, and gave her a menacing glare before departing.
Accompanied by her attorney, Gloria Allred, Lechmanik became visibly emotional while addressing the media during the press conference. She expressed her belief that Ye had no right to assault or intimidate her, asserting her determination to hold him accountable for his reprehensible actions. Lechmanik underscored that her intention was to shed light on the need for Ye to change his behavior and to emphasize that such misconduct should not go unpunished.
When questioned about potential invasions of celebrity privacy, Lechmanik highlighted her decade-long experience as a photographer and her commitment to respectful conduct toward famous subjects. She stated that the incident with Ye was unprecedented in her career, emphasizing that there are many reputable professionals in the field who prioritize the well-being of celebrities and would never cause harm.
Allred, representing Lechmanik, emphasized that Ye’s actions had disrupted her client’s livelihood. She expressed Lechmanik’s hope that this lawsuit would set a precedent for other paparazzi photographers who endure mistreatment from celebrities while performing their job. Allred stressed that photographers who earn a living through their craft should be able to do so without interference, arguing that Ye had overstepped his bounds by seizing Lechmanik’s property, which is vital to her work as a photographer. Allred concluded by reminding Ye that public spaces, including the street, permit individuals to film freely, and if he wishes to avoid being recorded, he can choose to remain in the privacy of his own home.