The paparazzi photographer announced Thursday that she is suing American rapper Kanye West for assault, accusing him of throwing her mobile phone on the ground during an argument between them in January in California.
During a press conference in Los Angeles, Nichole Lechmanik accused the singer, who became known as “Ye”, and used to stir up controversy, of causing her “great mental and emotional suffering.”
The aforementioned altercation took place near a sports complex in Ventura, on the outskirts of Los Angeles, where Kanye West’s son and ex-wife Kim Kardashian were playing.
Shortly after taking a few pictures of Kim Kardashian, the photographer, according to her account, caught sight of the rapper outside arguing with someone, and began photographing him with her phone from her car.
The video, which was shown during the press conference, shows the singer approaching the car and insulting the female photographer.
In the video, the singer says, “When I come to see my son playing, you can’t watch me like that… Stop filming.”
And Lechmanik replies, “I know that, but Kanye, you’re a celebrity,” and then continued filming.
In the rest of the video, the singer appears as he pulls the phone from the photographer’s hands and throws it on the ground before walking away.
“I was so scared,” Nichole Lechmanik said Thursday, stressing that the quarrel disrupted her “ability to work” and that she has not been “the same” since then.
Her lawyer, Gloria Allred, said that the photographer is asking for compensation from the singer, without indicating the amounts.
It is not uncommon for celebrities and paparazzi to get into fights in California. Celebrities often feel that they are being followed and harassed, while the paparazzi claim that they need to sell these photos in order to survive in a highly competitive market.
