Kanye West: Los Angeles police investigating whether rapper was involved in alleged battery
West's chief of staff told NBC News in a statement that the incident happened after his wife Bianca Censori was allegedly "physically assaulted".
Thursday 18 April 2024 23:16, UK
Police in Los Angeles have said they are investigating whether Kanye West was involved in an alleged battery.
Officers were called to Sunset Boulevard around 12.30am on Wednesday after receiving reports of an incident, LAPD confirmed to Sky News' US partner network, NBC News.
West, also known by his rapper name Ye, was gone when police arrived.
The alleged victim, an unidentified man, told officers that the US star punched him in the face multiple times, a police spokesman said.
Milo Yiannopoulos, West's chief of staff at his clothing and apparel company Yeezy, told NBC News in a statement that the incident happened after his wife Bianca Censori was allegedly "physically assaulted".
"The assailant didn't merely collide into her. He put his hands under her dress, directly on her body, he grabbed her waist, he spun her around, and then he blew her kisses," Mr Yiannopoulos said.
"She was battered and sexually assaulted."
Police took an incident report from the person who made the claims against West, but have not released any details.
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Although commonly interchanged with assault, a battery charge is when there is unlawful contact between the accused and the victim, according to the Old Bailey Solicitors website.
Whereas an assault is when a person intentionally or recklessly causes someone to fear that unlawful force is going to be inflicted upon them.
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West married Australian architect and model Censori in 2022 after divorcing reality TV star Kim Kardashian following nearly seven years of marriage.