Jennifer An is speaking out more than a decade after she says Kanye West choked her and simulated a sexual act during a music video shoot.
The former America’s Next Top Model finalist, who competed on the show in 2009, filed a civil lawsuit against Ye in 2024 over an alleged incident on the 2010 set of La Roux’s “In for the Kill” music video. An alleges the rapper put his hands around her neck, smeared her makeup, and placed his hands in her mouth during filming. The footage was not included in the final video.
In a BBC interview, An said the alleged encounter left her confused and disturbed.
“It felt like he was trying to touch me as much as possible,” she told the outlet. “Suddenly, he reached out and started choking me. I was confused about what was happening.”
According to An, Ye used both hands around her neck and handled her makeup in a way that “just felt wrong.” She also alleged that after the incident, the rapper shouted, “This is art, I’m Picasso,” before saying he had gotten what he wanted and leaving the set.
An claimed crew members saw what happened but did not stop it. She said she did not fight back at the time because she feared losing future work.
According to An, La Roux later agreed to keep the footage out of the final cut, adding that the musician expressed that he found Ye’s alleged behavior as “horrific” in a 2024 Instagram message. Representatives for La Roux have not publicly commented.
West’s legal team has asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit, and his attorneys argue the scene was a staged performance and artistic expression protected by the First Amendment and that An fully consented.
The lawsuit remains ongoing.
