Overview
- Jennifer An, a former America’s Next Top Model contestant, told the BBC that Kanye West choked her and put his fingers in her mouth during a La Roux video shoot in 2009–2010.
- An filed a civil suit in 2024 under New York City’s Gender‑Motivated Violence Protection Act and the case is pending in the Southern District of New York with no trial date set.
- Court filings now include alleged Instagram messages from La Roux singer Elly Jackson who described the incident as "horrific," and An’s lawyers say they have added affidavits and witness statements to corroborate her account.
- West’s lawyers have moved to dismiss the suit, arguing the contact occurred as part of an expressive, staged performance and is protected by the First Amendment, a defense An’s team says would grant impunity for unlawful conduct in creative settings.
- Wednesday’s BBC interview renewed media attention and may affect the court fight by bringing contemporary public testimony and the cited La Roux messages into the record as briefing on the dismissal continues.