Kanye West is reportedly missing in action, and it may have something to do with his ongoing legal troubles. The rapper’s former manager says he’s unable to locate Ye to serve him with paperwork concerning a lawsuit he filed over breach of contract and unpaid wages.
It was first reported that Thomas St. John was suing Kanye in October for $4.5 million.
The Yeezy founder reportedly hired Thomas as his Senior Financial Advisor and Chief Financial Officer for an 18-month term. They agreed on a monthly salary as well as a $300,00 retainer fee.
However, Thomas says he was abruptly fired only a few months later despite the contract, so he’s now seeking what he believes he’s owed. This includes $900,000 for the work he’s done so far, $3.6 million for the rest of the contract, and punitive damages.
Despite launching the lawsuit months ago, the business manager hasn’t been able to move forward with it, since his legal team has been unable to serve Kanye with papers.
According to TMZ, Thomas hasn’t been able to find a legitimate address for Kanye (even though Ye reportedly owns multiple properties).
While the plaintiff may be having a hard time finding the rapper, the paparazzi apparently isn’t. TMZ notes that Ye has been photographed in Los Angeles twice in the last week.
The publication says Kanye has been living a “nomadic life,” and is frequently travelling to Los Angeles, despite not having a full-time home based in the city.
This is hardly the only legal trouble Kanye is facing at the moment. Earlier this month, it was reported his Yeezy brand was evicted from their headquarters after falling behind on rent.
He’s also facing several other lawsuits, including a $250 million defamatory case launched by the family of George Floyd, following untrue statements Kanye made about his death.
Ye has also been called out by former employees for discriminatory and toxic workplace behavior, and has allegedly paid several undisclosed settlements to resolve some of the conflict.
Kanye’s controversial antics – including anti-Black and anti-semitic comments – caught up to him this year, as many companies have cut ties with him in the wake of his behavior. In October, Adidas finally ended its years-long collaboration with Yeezy, which Forbes said caused Kanye to lose his billionaire status.
With a huge loss of income, a tarnished reputation, and multiple ongoing legal conflicts, it’s no surprise Kanye is trying to lay low. But it remains to be seen how this impacts his ongoing lawsuits.
Sources: TMZ,