Why Kanye West Won’t Be Charged for Alleged Assault on Fan

Kanye West has dodged a potentially damaging criminal charge. West will not be charged after allegedly punching a fan outside an L.A. hotel. The Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office told TMZ, “After a thorough and careful review of all the evidence, our office is declining to file based on no reasonable likelihood of conviction.” The evidence is likely not sufficient to obtain a conviction.

The case was investigated as a misdemeanor battery, a crime punishable by up to six months in jail. As PopCulture previously reported, West was named a suspect in a battery case. An alleged argument with a fan led to a physical altercation in downtown Los Angeles at about 3 a.m. near the Soho Warehouse. TMZ obtained a video beginning when West reportedly knocked a man to the ground.

An unconscious man is seen lying on the ground nearby while the rapper screams at a woman to get away from him. Sources told TMZ the woman was West’s cousin and who tried to calm him down. West appears to be yelling at someone backed up against a car in the recording. “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 didn’t show the altercation with the fan because it appeared to have been filmed through blinds. 

According to witnesses, the woman calmed West down after he allegedly punched a fan seeking an autograph. According to the site, the man’s head “struck the ground hard” after he hit him in the head and neck. According to reports, West asked a small group of people outside the building not to photograph him because he was going through a tough time. When someone replied that “it’s okay, we all go through family stuff,” West punched the man, TMZ reports.

That evening, he was seen partying with Julia Fox, his girlfriend at the time. West left the club while Fox stayed. Adam Sandler and Fox starred in the film Uncut Gems together. The two announced they were dating in an Jan. 6 interview with Interview Magazine.

Fox, 32, and West, 44, began dating over New Year’s Eve and went on several public outings during their brief relationship. Fox insisted the relationship was genuine during an episode of her podcast Forbidden Fruits with Niki Takesh. “People are like ‘Oh, you’re only in it for the fame, you’re in it for the clout, you’re in it for the money,’” Fox told Takesh on Jan. 21. 

“Honey, I’ve dated billionaires my entire adult life, let’s keep it real.” Fox later said she “really” did not care about the attention. “I just care about making my art and putting things into the world,” she said. “That is more thrilling to me now than like eyes on me. I couldn’t care less.”

The two confirmed their split on Valentine’s Day. It followed West’s explosive series of Instagram posts over the weekend, in which he lashed out at Saturday Night Live comedian Pete Davidson, who was then dating Kardashian’s estranged husband. “Julia and Kanye remain good friends and collaborators, but they are no longer together,” a representative for the actress told E! News. The statement came after West posted several bizarre Instagram posts over the weekend. He seemed to indicate that he still wanted to reunite with Kardashian in a post.

“I don’t have beef with Kim,” West wrote in all capital letters next to a paparazzi picture of Kardashian and Davidson. “I love my family, so stop that narrative. I’m not giving up on my family. I bought this coat for Kim before SNL. I thought it was particularly special. I have faith that we’ll be back together.”

A source told E! News on Feb. 10 reported the couple’s relationship was suffering because of distance. “Julia is a mom first and her family and work obligations are in New York,” the source said. “Ye did express he wanted her in Los Angeles, but she couldn’t take that on.” That source added that while two “remain close, their relationship has evolved.”