Kanye West countersues former manager citing he made contract while being 'sleep-deprived, stressed, anxious, and under duress'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Kanye West argues in a new countersuit that he never cheated his ex-business manager out of a salary, and that their arrangement came about when he was stressed and in the middle of his divorce from his former wife and mother of his four children, Kim Kardashian.
According to the documents filed by Kanye ‘Ye’ West and his Yeezy brand, he argues the arrangement he made with Thomas St John isn't enforceable since he signed it while being "sleep-deprived, stressed, anxious, and under duress."
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According to the lawsuit, as obtained by TMZ, Ye claims he came across St John around March of 2022 and they worked out an arrangement in which Thomas St John was to be paid $300,000 per month. Kanye confesses to meeting his former manager after one of his numerous social media meltdowns. St John was hired as a level-headed business manager who would alleviate the situations surrounding Ye.
While Ye admits to signing a contract with St John in May 2022, he also admits he signed the contract while his personal lawyers were not present and there was no one to offer him advice. The ‘Heartless’ singer also added that he was also going through mental stress as his divorce from Kim Kardashian was in full swing then. Interactions with Paparazzis also increased during that time causing him anxiety and loss of sleep.
The ‘Gold Digger’ hitmaker Ye is also upset with a stipulation in the "barebones" agreement that prevented Ye from dismissing St John for at least the first 18 months. However, Ye indeed dismissed him after three months which led St John to sue the rapper for $5.4 million. Nonetheless, the ‘Good Morning’ singer was so disgusted that he's requesting the judge not only to void the contract but also to order St John to give back the $900,000 he's already collected.
Who is Thomas St John and why did he sue Kanye West?
According to The Blast, Thomas St John, the head of the TSJ international accounting firm, charged West of refusing to pay 18 months' worth of payments after St John was hired as his business manager in March.
When St John confronted West about the $300,000-per-month retainer charge, the rapper allegedly became “heated and aggressive” and began yelling at him. The lawsuit stated, “He screamed at Mr. St. John and made clear he no longer wanted to work with (St. John.)” before adding, "When confronted by the 18-month commitment that had just been made, Mr. West stated words to the effect of 'The 18-month term was bulls***' and 'You’re insane for even thinking I would stick to it'.”
After the lawsuit, Ye’s lawyers at Greenberg Traurig, a law firm made by three Jewish men, also cut ties with him. According to the documents, St John made the 18-month agreement with the “assurance that Defendants would not simply walk away from the business relationship.” However, after dispersing salary for three months, Kanye West refused to uphold the contract leading St John to sue the Yeezy owner.
Kanye West’s losses in business
As Kanye West made antisemitic comments and wore a ‘White Lives Matter’ T-shirt amid his divorce from Kim, his business ventures suffered a huge loss. Not only did his lawyers sever all ties, but Adidas also dropped him saying they would be selling his Yeezy shoes without using Ye’s name. Auction house Christie’s also stopped the auction of the Nike Air Yeezy 1 prototype which the rapper wore at the 2008 Grammys.
Brands like Balenciaga, Creative Artists Agency, TJ Maxx, and Gap also broke ties with him making his net worth drop down to $400 million, reports Daily Mail. His school Donda Academy also saw a tumultuous time as the school was suddenly shut down and reopened within hours in late October.