Kanye West is now involved in yet another legal matter following a reported altercation that took place nearly a week ago. The rapper was at a hotel in Los Angeles with his legally wedded wife, Bianca Censori, when she was allegedly shoved by an individual. It’s said that West later confronted the man and that during the exchange, the “Power” performer punched him. At this time, local authorities are still investigating this potential battery case. And, now, West himself has broken his silence on the matter, seemingly confirming reports that he came to blows with the man.
The Chateau Marmont is apparently where all of this went down and, sometime afterwards, Ye’s team released a statement. It alleged that the person didn’t just “collide” with the star’s wife but “put his hands under her dress, directly on her body.” In their words, Bianca Censori was “battered and sexually assaulted.” Counter reports later refuted those assertions, with sources saying that the person bumped into Censori by accident in a crowded space. Per that account, the mogul later confronted and hit his spouse’s supposed “assailant” twice.
While speaking with The Download podcast (via TMZ), Kanye West (who’s seemingly avoided cancel culture) shared his perspective of what happened on that morning of April 17. Host Justin Laboy specifically asked West what the story was, leading the Grammy winner to share the following sentiments:
My wife is walking to the bathroom at the Chateau. … This guy just grabbed my wife, and then she just… I didn’t see it directly, and she started just explaining it to me what happened. And so then I walked over and found him, and then I’m talking to different security – not just the security that be with me but other security. Like, ‘OK, let’s get this guy just escorted out or something.’ And I talked to the guy. I say, ‘Yo, you just need to leave right now.’ He’s like, ‘It’s OK, it’s OK.’ It’s like, ‘No, it’s not OK.’ It wasn’t OK. Then he saw it wasn’t OK [and] had to go to bed early. [I] tucked this [racial slur] in.
Based on what’s been reported thus far, the person who was at the receiving end of his blow was either one of twin brothers Mark and Jonnie Houston. The two are apparently prominent restaurant owners in the LA area. What’s also since been reported is that Ye actually hit the wrong twin in the end. As of this writing, neither of the siblings has provided a public statement about what happened.
This marks another instance in which Kanye West has been linked to a situation involving alleged battery. In 2022, West reportedly got physical with a fan during a run-in that was sparked by said person asking for an autograph. Early the next year, the star was investigated for throwing a person’s phone after another tense conversation. Around that time, the buzz surrounding the matter was so strong that even his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, was shutting down questions from the paparazzi about it.
It’s currently unclear when the authorities will complete their investigation into the altercation. Once it’s completed though, it’ll be sent to the city’s attorney to be reviewed and, from there, time will tell what becomes of it. In the meantime, we’ll see if Ye chooses to share more thoughts.