Content Advisory: This article discusses allegations of sexual assault and simulated sexual violence. Reader discretion is advised.
Jennifer An says her experience on a Kanye West music video set still haunts her more than a decade later.
An, a former finalist on the 2009 season of ‘America’s Next Top Model,’ filed a civil lawsuit against West in 2024. She alleges the rapper choked her and simulated a sexual act during a 2010 shoot for La Roux’s ‘In for the Kill’ music video. The footage was not used in the final cut.
Now, An is speaking publicly about why the alleged encounter felt so disturbing.
Jennifer An Says The Set Moment Felt Wrong
“It felt like he was trying to touch me as much as possible,” An told the BBC.
She said she felt confused and vulnerable when West allegedly approached her during the shoot.
“Suddenly, he reached out and started choking me,” she said. “I was confused about what was happening.”
An alleged that West used both hands around her neck, smeared her makeup and placed his hands in her mouth. She said the way he handled her makeup “just felt wrong.”
Afterward, An claims West shouted, “This is art, I’m Picasso,” before saying he had gotten what he wanted and leaving the set.
An Says Crew Members Did Not Step In
An claimed production crew members saw what happened but did not intervene. She said she did not resist because she feared losing work.
According to An, La Roux later agreed to keep the footage out of the final video. An also claims the musician described West’s alleged behavior as “horrific” in a 2024 Instagram message.
La Roux’s representatives have not publicly commented on the matter.
An filed her lawsuit under New York City’s Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act, which temporarily allowed certain sexual violence-related civil suits to be filed beyond the usual deadline.
West’s Team Seeks Dismissal
West’s legal team has asked the court to dismiss the case. His attorneys argue the scene was staged performance and artistic expression protected by the First Amendment.
They described An as a consenting participant and said the video was intended to emulate stylized violence.
West’s representative referred to court filings, which state that simulated sexual violence for artistic purposes is not the same as actual sexual violence.
An’s attorney, Jesse Weinstein, rejected that defense and told the BBC that framing the alleged conduct as art sets “a dangerous precedent.”
Weinstein has also said An’s case includes corroborating evidence, including witness testimony and communications from the time.
For now, the lawsuit remains another serious legal cloud around West, whose public controversies have already complicated his efforts to return to major live performances.
