Jennifer An, a former contestant on America’s Next Top Model, has filed a lawsuit against rapper Kanye West—now known as Ye—claiming that during a 2010 music‑video shoot for La Roux’s "In For The Kill" he choked her.
An says the incident left her feeling "suffocated, unsure and scared" after West allegedly used both hands to choke her, smeared makeup on her face as a stylistic nod to the film "American Psycho" and inserted his fingers into her mouth.
The lawsuit, filed under New York City’s Gender‑Motivated Violence Protection Act, relies on testimony she gave to the BBC’s Fame Under Fire podcast and on private messages with Elly Jackson, singer of La Roux, which verify the event.
West’s legal team argues the encounter was part of an "intense and provocative theatrical performance," and that An neither resisted nor protested. They maintain that the act was an artistic homage and therefore protected by the First Amendment.
The case has not yet gone to trial. West has not yet responded to the BBC’s request for comment, and the court has yet to rule on a motion to dismiss the claim.
