Kanye West Accused of Sexually Assaulting Model on Music Video Set

A former America’s Next Top Model contestant is accusing Kanye West of sexual assault. TMZ reports Jenn Ann, who appeared on Cycle 13 of the reality competition series, was featured in a music video of his where the alleged assault took place. The video shoot was in 2010 for Ye and La Roux’s “In For the Kill.”

Ann says Ye handpicked her out of a lineup of women, reportedly saying, “Give me the Asian girl” before they began filming a scene at New York City’s Chelsea Hotel which she found humiliating and dangerous.

Ann says she was wearing revealing lingerie, and heard Ye say to her “That’s why I chose you.” She says she was instructed to sit in a chair across from him and he told the director to put the camera directly on her.

Ann’s lawsuit claims Ye began strangling her with both hands, and then “smothered” her face with his hands before he “rammed several fingers down her throat, continuously moved them in and out, and gagged her to emulate forced oral sex,” all of which she says lasted a minute. She alleges Ye yelled: “This is art. This is f**king art. I am like Picasso.”

Ann says she believes the scene was reminiscent of “pornographic gagging/deep throat/BDSM fetishes.” She also says La Roux told a friend that during the shoot she witnessed “upsetting, unsettling” behavior. Ann is suing Kanye and Universal Music Group for gender-motivated violence.

The scene seemingly didn’t make the final cut of the music video. Ann accuses the record label of hiding it. 

Ann appeared on America’s Next Top Model in 2009. She was the eleventh girl eliminated and tied for third place with Erin Wagner, per Fandom. She never appeared in the bottom two for elimination during her time on the show but was eliminated in the final four.

Since appearing on the show, she’s appeared in a number of magazines, including Cosmopolitan. She also appeared in a campaign for Steve Madden. Her work has expanded to acting, with guest roles in shows like The Mindy Project, and commercials for the likes of KFC.