Kanye West has sued and been sued over insurance, music publishing, unpaid work, sampled recordings, workplace conduct and alleged assault. This timeline follows selected civil cases from 2017 to 2026, what each side alleged and how each ended where an outcome could be verified, keeping every proceeding separate.
August 2017 to 13 October 2026 · 40 dated events · 57 sources
Status in the record · 2 November 2026
Several cases ended in settlements, including the Donna Summer, Donda Academy and former assistant suits, and none of those settlements is an admission. Juries found West liable in the Malibu project manager case and over a Hurricane demo in 2026, and the Malibu judge later denied West's post-trial motion and awarded fees and costs. The former Yeezy marketing employee's appeal, the model's suit, the app developers' suit, the Vultures 2 sample suit and the hotel suit had no verified final outcome as of 2 November 2026.
Coverage through13 October 2026Editorial review2 November 2026
Main story: August 2017 to 13 October 2026. The full timeline also includes labelled context or related events.
jury award in the Malibu caseUSD 140,000Saxon sought about USD 1.7 million. One Rolling Stone report gave USD 150,000
owed by West personally in the Hurricane demo verdictUSD 176,153Plaintiff sought USD 564,046
Timeline of events
Overview · Aug 2017 to 13 Oct 2026 · click a dot to jump
40 events shown
2017
Aug 2017
Filing
West's touring company sues tour insurers
Very Good Touring, West's touring company, sued Lloyd's of London syndicates in federal court in Los Angeles over cancelled Saint Pablo tour dates. It sought more than USD 9.86 million plus interest for breach of contract and alleged the insurers had neither paid nor rejected its November 2016 claim. The insurers countersued, arguing they owed nothing under policy exclusions.
The parties settled on undisclosed terms. PA Media reported that Judge Charles Eick dismissed the case with each side bearing its own fees and costs. West's lawyer Howard King said the dispute had been resolved amicably.
“the dispute has been amicably resolved”Howard King, lawyer for West's touring company, Rolling Stone
West sued EMI in California state court seeking to end his 2003 music publishing agreement. He relied on California Labor Code section 2855, which limits personal service contracts to seven years, and argued that period ended in October 2010. EMI disputed that the law applied, saying the contract only required him to deliver his ownership interest in music he created.
A notice of settlement was filed after about nine months of litigation. The notice did not disclose what EMI gave West, and a final agreement was expected within 90 days.
EMI had West's California case removed to federal court and filed its own suit in New York, citing a New York jurisdiction clause in the contract. A New York court denied EMI's first request for a preliminary injunction, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
EMI reopened the New York case in late December 2019, saying the parties had been unable to finalize terms. On 13 January 2020 the parties told the federal court in New York they had reached an agreement in principle resolving all issues. Complex later reported, citing court documents, that the case was to be dismissed with prejudice with neither side paying the other's fees. Terms were not disclosed.
“reached an agreement in principle resolving all issues”West and EMI, in a court filing quoted by Hypebeast, Hypebeast
Bishop David Paul Moten sued West, UMG Recordings, Def Jam Recordings and G.O.O.D. Music in federal court in Dallas (No. 3:22-cv-00991). He alleged that his sermon was sampled without permission on the Donda track Come to Life and claimed copyright infringement, unjust enrichment, conversion and common law copyright.
Phantom Labs, a production and design firm, sued West and several of his companies in Los Angeles County Superior Court seeking USD 7,154,177.67. It alleged nonpayment for work including the Donda 2 livestream, a cancelled Coachella appearance and Sunday Service performances. West's representatives did not immediately respond to Variety.
Former teachers Cecilia Hailey and Chekarey Byers sued West and Donda Academy in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleging wrongful termination after raising concerns about the school, racial discrimination and short wage payments. A third former teacher later joined, and a former assistant principal filed a separate suit in July 2023.
MyNewsLA reported that Phantom Labs' lawyers filed papers asking for the case against West and three of his companies to be dismissed with prejudice. The papers did not say whether a settlement had been reached, and HIU found no second report confirming the filing.
Tony Saxon, hired in 2021 as project manager and security guard at West's Malibu house, sued in Los Angeles County Superior Court. He alleged West agreed to pay him USD 20,000 a week but paid one installment, that he was injured on the job and that he was fired in November 2021 for refusing unsafe requests. He sought about USD 1.7 million.
West's lawyer asks for the teachers' claims to be dismissed
West's lawyer Gregory Suhr filed a motion to dismiss and said the allegations about the school were false. He argued West was named only in wage claims and had no role in the school's pay policies.
“None of it is true”Gregory Suhr, lawyer for West, NBC News
Donna Summer's estate sues over a Vultures 1 track
Bruce Sudano, executor of Donna Summer's estate, sued West, Ty Dolla Sign and their labels in federal court in Los Angeles. The complaint alleged that Good (Don't Die) reproduced key parts of I Feel Love after the estate refused a clearance request in February 2024.
“Defendants ignored the Summer Estate's denial.”Complaint filed by the Donna Summer estate, Estate of Donna Summer, filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California (copy hosted by Courthouse News Service)
In a federal court status report, the estate's lawyer said the parties had reached a global settlement on 3 May and expected to sign a final agreement soon. A spokesman for West did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone.
Court documents said the sides had settled, and the estate's lawyer told Billboard each party would cover its own costs and that West and Ty Dolla Sign agreed not to distribute or use the song. He said the estate did not license it. Good (Don't Die) had been removed from Apple Music and Spotify after the suit was filed.
A former assistant sues for harassment and wrongful termination
A former assistant who worked for West from 2021 sued him in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleging sexual harassment, breach of contract and wrongful termination, including explicit messages. West's representative called the allegations baseless and accused her of blackmail and extortion after he rejected her advances.
Former app developers sue West and his chief of staff
Eight former workers, including teenagers, sued West and former Yeezy chief of staff Milo Yiannopoulos in federal court in Los Angeles. They alleged unpaid wages and overtime for work on a streaming app, racist remarks and a hostile work environment. Yiannopoulos called it a joke lawsuit. HIU could not verify the outcome.
Artist Revenue Advocates, which said four artists assigned it rights in the 2018 work MSD PT2, sued West, his companies, Universal Music entities and Stem Player businesses in federal court in Los Angeles. It alleged the work was used without permission in the Donda songs Hurricane and Moon, including at listening parties.
A model sued West and Universal Music Group in New York federal court under New York City's gender-motivated violence law. She alleged that during a 2010 music video shoot West choked her and forced several fingers into her throat, and that the label failed to investigate. Representatives for West did not immediately respond.
Criminal Manne, DJ Squeeky and representatives of the late Kilo G sued Ty Dolla Sign, West, Yeezy Record Label and Create Music Group in federal court in Tennessee, alleging the Vultures 1 track Fuk Sumn sampled their 1994 track Drink a Yak (Part 2) without permission.
AllHipHop reported, citing court filings, that a judge dismissed the case with prejudice on 30 January 2025 after the parties signed a stipulation, with terms undisclosed. Uproxx and HotNewHipHop relied on that report. AllHipHop gave a June 2023 filing date, and a George Washington University case database records a voluntary dismissal motion filed within weeks of the 2022 complaint. HIU could not open the docket, so the date and form of the outcome are unverified.
Moten v. Def Jam case entrySource · George Washington University Law School, Music Copyright Infringement Resource
Feb 2025
Filing
A former Yeezy marketing employee sues
A former Yeezy marketing specialist, identified as Jane Doe, sued in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleging antisemitic abuse including texts referring to Hitler, sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliatory termination.
Court documents reported by Rolling Stone showed West settled the two suits brought by a former assistant principal and three former teachers weeks before an April 2025 trial. The settlements were conditional on West meeting his obligations within 45 days, after which the plaintiffs would request dismissal. Terms were not disclosed, and HIU could not verify that dismissal was later entered.
Court denies West's motion to strike the employee's suit
West's lawyers argued under California's anti-SLAPP law that the suit targeted his protected artistic expression. Judge Theresa M. Traber denied the motion, describing it as frivolous or solely intended to cause unnecessary delay, according to Rolling Stone and Law Commentary.
The former assistant's amended complaint adds assault claims
In July 2025, more than a year after the original filing, the former assistant filed an amended complaint adding claims including sexual battery, stalking, sex trafficking and false imprisonment. These remained allegations in her filing and were not tested at trial. West's representatives had denied her allegations.
Ty Dolla Sign settles while claims against West continue
The plaintiffs said they had resolved their differences with Ty Dolla Sign and Create Music Group and were negotiating a confidential settlement. The claims against West and Yeezy Record Label were reported to be continuing.
Judge Nicholas F. Daum awarded USD 76,245 in attorneys' fees over the anti-SLAPP motion, less than the plaintiff had sought, and declined to delay payment until West's appeal of the June ruling was decided. The lawsuit was reported to be on hold pending that appeal.
SWSH and the label Future Bounce sued West, Ty Dolla Sign, Yeezy Record Label and distributor Label Engine in federal court in Los Angeles. They alleged the track 530 used vocals from their 2018 song Break the Fall without a licence and sought damages and an injunction. HotNewHipHop described the filing as an expanded complaint adding federal copyright claims. HIU could not verify a response or outcome.
Judge Michelle Williams Court granted summary judgment to West's side on claims over the released Hurricane and Moon and on the composition, finding the plaintiff lacked standing for the composition. She let claims over earlier demo and listening party versions go to trial and declined to decide West's implied license defense in his favour, leaving it for the jury.
West appeals, arguing workplace remarks were protected art
In the California Court of Appeal, West's lawyers argued that creative directives and provocative imagery at work were part of his art's development and protected by the First Amendment. The plaintiff argues the First Amendment does not cover workplace harassment. HIU could not verify an appellate decision.
Jury awards the Malibu project manager USD 140,000
After a trial that began on 23 February, a Los Angeles Superior Court jury found Saxon was an employee injured on the job and awarded USD 140,000 plus fees and costs. It rejected the wrongful termination claim and awarded no punitive damages. A later Rolling Stone report gave the award as USD 150,000, while other outlets and reports of the court's later rulings give USD 140,000. West's spokesperson said Saxon acted as a contractor and that the award was legally barred.
“Under California law, an unlicensed contractor cannot recover compensation for work requiring a license.”Spokesperson for West, ABC7 Los Angeles (City News Service)
Parties report a settlement in principle in the Drink a Yak suit
The remaining parties told the federal court in Tennessee they had reached a settlement agreement in principle resolving all claims, according to HotNewHipHop, citing Billboard, and AllHipHop. Terms were not disclosed, and HIU could not verify a final agreement or dismissal.
West's lawyers argued the damages lacked admissible medical evidence and asked for the verdict to be overturned or, at minimum, a new trial on damages. Saxon's lawyer said he expected the motion to fail.
A man identified as John Doe sued West in Los Angeles County Superior Court for battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, alleging West punched him at the Chateau Marmont in April 2024 and later made false statements about him on a podcast. On that podcast West had described confronting a man he said grabbed his wife. A representative did not immediately respond, and in 2024 a representative had denied that West was a suspect.
Judge Brock T. Hammond denied West's motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict, according to MyNewsLA and Law Commentary. He agreed Saxon could not recover pay for unlicensed contractor work but ruled the law did not bar recovery of medical expenses. Saxon later sought USD 1.23 million in attorneys' fees, which West's lawyers called unreasonably inflated.
Trial opened in federal court in Los Angeles on the prerelease versions only, after a February mediation failed. The plaintiff sought USD 564,046 and argued that a Donda listening party where a demo was played earned about USD 5.5 million through tickets, merchandise and an Apple Music deal.
A federal jury found West and his companies infringed the MSD PT2 sound recording through a pre-album version of Hurricane. West and Yeezy LLC were each ordered to pay USD 176,153, and Music Business Worldwide reported a total of USD 438,558 across four defendants. A West spokesman called the case a failed shakedown.
“a failed shakedown”Spokesman for West, Music Business Worldwide
By June 2026 West's lawyers had asked the court to dismiss the suit, arguing his conduct was artistic expression protected by the First Amendment and describing the plaintiff as a consenting participant in the performance. Rolling Stone reported no ruling. HIU could not verify a later outcome.
The parties reached what a court filing described as an unconditional settlement on 23 July 2026, after mediation in June, with terms undisclosed. The Los Angeles Times reported on 30 July that her lawyers had filed a notice of settlement and a request to dismiss the entire case with prejudice. HIU could not verify whether the court has entered the dismissal. West's representatives did not comment on the settlement and had earlier denied her allegations. The settlement is not an admission.
“The matter has been resolved.”Arick Fudali, lawyer for the former assistant, The Canberra Times (Australian Associated Press)
Judge Hammond awarded Saxon USD 147,000 in attorneys' fees and USD 34,433.93 in costs, far less than the USD 1.23 million his lawyers sought, according to Law Commentary and HotNewHipHop, citing Billboard. HIU could not verify whether West has appealed.
Complaint, Sudano v. West, No. 2:24-cv-01586 (C.D. Cal.)
Estate of Donna Summer, filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California (copy hosted by Courthouse News Service) · courthousenews.com
Complaint, Artist Revenue Advocates v. West, No. 2:24-cv-06018 (C.D. Cal.)
Artist Revenue Advocates, filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California (copy hosted by Music Business Worldwide) · musicbusinessworldwide.com
Joint report on progress of settlement, Artist Revenue Advocates v. West, Dkt. 233
Counsel for the parties, filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California (copy hosted by Music Business Worldwide) · musicbusinessworldwide.com
Coverage through 13 October 2026. Editorial review: 2 November 2026. Spotted an error? See corrections. Copyright concerns: report an asset. Every event links to its sources. Source type does not establish whether a claim is true.
