Overview
- Ye’s attorneys Andrew and Katie Cherkasky filed an appeal arguing that references to being a “Nazi” or “Hitler” in internal marketing exchanges were part of his artistic process and protected speech.
- The plaintiff, a former Jewish Yeezy marketing staffer identified as Jane Doe, alleges antisemitic harassment that included texts such as “I am a Nazi” and “welcome to the first day of working for Hitler,” pornographic messages, and being called a “bitch,” followed by termination after she complained.
- The filing comes weeks after Ye’s Wall Street Journal apology attributing past behavior to a brain injury and bipolar disorder, with spokesperson Milo Yiannopoulos insisting the legal position does not conflict with the apology.
- A lower-court judge previously criticized Ye’s anti-SLAPP and First Amendment arguments as defective and ordered him to pay about $79,000 in the plaintiff’s attorney fees.
- The appeals court’s decision will determine if the suit moves into discovery, as public reaction continues, including 50 Cent mocking the legal argument online, and separate civil cases involving a construction worker and a California home proceeding in court.