Kanye West has been hit with court sanctions and will be questioned under oath over allegations of discrimination and harassment by a former Black employee.
Per In Touch Weekly, on February 11, a Los Angeles judge ruled that the 47-year-old rapper must appear “in person and not via Zoom” for a deposition in the lawsuit filed by Benjamin Deshon Provo.
The employee, who has been trying for months to set a date to question West, asked for sanctions because the music mogul did not show up for a “properly-noticed deposition” and did not give new dates.
As the same outlet reported, West got rid of his old lawyers last year and did not have a lawyer until January 2025.
The Runway singer’s new lawyer, Eduardo Martorell, fought against Provo’s request to force West to appear for a deposition and sanctions.
Martorell said they had agreed on April 29, 2025, for deposition.
However, Provo told the court that Martorell misrepresented the deal and never signed a stipulation for West’s deposition as allegedly promised.
Provos lawyer stated that he “anticipates that Ye [West] and/or his counsel may try to avoid producing him for deposition, or, in the alternative, require that his deposition be conducted virtually.”
“However, based upon [Benjamin’s] knowledge of Ye’s conduct during depositions in other matters, including, making a mockery of those proceedings by wearing a Halloween mask, and engaging in conduct that otherwise would be inappropriate for such proceedings, [Benjamin] requests an order that he be ordered to appear in person,” the lawyer added.
At the recent hearing, the judge ordered the Heartless crooner to be deposed “in person” on or before April 29, 2025, and also ordered him to pay Provo $500 in sanctions within 30 days.
For the unversed, Provo started working as a security guard at West’s Donda Academy in 2021 after meeting him through a mutual friend.
He said that over time, the record producer was given tasks at his Sunday Service and at the warehouse “where [West] stored his Yeezy wear.”
It is pertinent to mention that in his lawsuit over alleged discrimination and wrongful termination, Provo claimed West openly showed his displeasure with Black authors.
