Jennifer An, a former contestant on America's Next Top Model, claims that former rapper Ye (formerly Kanye West) choked her and forced actions that resembled oral sex during a 2010 music‑video shoot for La Roux’s hit “In For The Kill.” She says the incident took place at the Chelsea Hotel in New York, with Ye taking over the set without prior authorisation and selecting An to perform in a scene that she says she could not control.
An told the BBC’s Fame Under Fire podcast that the rapper “choked me and pressed his fingers against my mouth to simulate oral sex,” adding that the situation left her feeling “suffocated, unsure and scared.” She alleges that the video crew did not intervene, describing the crew’s silence as “only there, staring at me.”
In 2024, An filed a civil lawsuit in New York City under the Gender‑Motivated Violence Protection Act, which temporarily extends the statute of limitations for sexual‑assault survivors. She argues that the act was non‑consensual, whereas West’s lawyers claim the scene was an intense, artistic performance – a homage to the film *American Psycho* – that she consented to as part of the production.
West’s representatives have not responded to the BBC’s request for clarification, while Universal Music Group and La Roux have yet to comment on the allegations. An’s lawyer, Jesse Weinstein, stresses that allowing artists to claim artistic coverall for actions that may harm other people could set a dangerous precedent.
The case remains pending; a motion to dismiss was filed by West’s attorneys on First Amendment grounds, arguing that the encounter occurred within an expressive artistic context. Whether the court will accept that defence remains to be seen.
