Kanye West Allegedly Wanted for Battery After Altercation With Fan

Rapper Kanye West was named as a suspect in an alleged battery case Thursday morning. He reportedly got into an argument with a fan that turned physical in downtown Los Angeles at about 3 a.m. The incident happened near the Soho Warehouse. TMZ later obtained a video that begins just after West allegedly knocked a man to the ground.

In the new video TMZ published Thursday afternoon, West is heard yelling at a woman to get away from him. Sources told TMZ the woman was West’s cousin and was trying to calm him down. The clip also shows a man already laid out on the ground. 

Witnesses told the site that the woman was trying to calm West down moments after he allegedly punched the fan, who was seeking an autograph. The rapper allegedly hit the man in the head and neck. The man’s head “struck the ground hard,” the site reports. West reportedly asked a small group of people outside the building to not take photos of him because he was going through a difficult time. “When someone replied that it’s okay, we all go through family stuff,” West punched the man, TMZ reports.

Earlier Thursday, law enforcement sources told TMZ West allegedly pushed and punched a male fan. The case is being investigated as a misdemeanor battery, which comes with a maximum jail sentence of six months. West allegedly knocked the fan to the ground, according to Fox11, which first reported the news. A representative for West has not commented on the situation, reports Variety.

TMZ also published video of West filmed between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. West can be heard apparently yelling to someone whose back was against a car. “Did y’all say that or night? Did y’all say that or not? Because that’s what happened right f—ing now,” West is heard yelling. The video, which appeared to be filmed through blinds, did not show the altercation with the fan. Earlier that night, West was seen at the club Delilah with his new girlfriend, actress Julia Fox. West left the club alone.

On Wednesday, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival organizers announced West will be the headliner on Sunday, April 17 and Sunday, April 24. The other headlining acts for the festival are Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, Lil Baby, Megan Thee Stallion, Danny Elfman, Phoebe Bridgers, Big Sean, Maggie Rogers, Ari Lennox, and Doja Cat. West’s most recent live performance was at the Los Angeles Coliseum in December. The Free Larry Hoover Benefit Concert also featured a full set with Drake, although Drake’s performance was mostly edited out of the Amazon Prime Video version of the concert.

West recently began dating Fox, who starred in Uncut Gems with Adam Sandler. The two confirmed their relationship in Fox’s Jan. 6 interview with Interview Magazine. In the latest episode of her podcast Forbidden Fruits, Fox opened up about their relationship. “For right now, I’m just living in the moment and I don’t have any expectations,” Fox said, reports Entertainment Tonight. “There are no labels. None of that. It’s just people that make each other feel better. It’s really such a Gemini/Aquarius connection. It’s very inspirational.”