Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Kanye West

Public opinion and media debates around Kanye West—discover key moments of controversy.

Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, is a highly influential American rapper, songwriter, and record producer, recognized as one of hip-hop's most prominent figures and greatest rappers. His music is known for its stylistic diversity and impact on opening doors for rappers outside the gangster rap mold. Ye is also known for his controversial public persona and polarizing cultural and political commentary.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

2005: Hurricane Katrina Criticism

In a 2005 speech, Kanye West criticized the media and government's response to Hurricane Katrina, stating "George Bush doesn't care about black people" on live television.

November 7, 2006: Public Apology for MTV Europe Music Awards Outburst

On November 7, 2006, Kanye West publicly apologized for his outburst at the 2006 MTV Europe Music Awards during his performance as a support act for U2's Vertigo concert in Brisbane.

December 2006: Evel Knievel Lawsuit

In December 2006, Robert "Evel" Knievel sued Kanye West for trademark infringement of his name and likeness in West's video for "Touch the Sky", citing a "vulgar and offensive" video. Knievel claimed that West damaged his reputation and sought monetary damages and an injunction to stop distribution of the video.

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September 2007: Spoofs Incident on Saturday Night Live

In September 2007, Kanye West spoofed his 2006 outburst at the MTV Europe Music Awards on the 33rd-season premiere of Saturday Night Live.

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2009: MTV Video Music Awards Incident

During the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift's acceptance speech to proclaim that Beyoncé deserved the award instead, leading to widespread criticism.

November 2010: Seeming Recant of Apologies

In a November 2010 interview, Kanye West seemed to recant his past apologies for his actions at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, describing the act as "selfless".

2010: Split with Amber Rose

In 2010, Kanye West and model Amber Rose ended their relationship. Following the split, West made controversial comments about needing "30 showers" before dating Kim Kardashian, and Rose claimed she was "bullied" and "slut-shamed" by West.

2010: Apology for Bush Comment

In 2010, Kanye West apologized for his 2005 comment about George Bush, stating he "didn't have the grounds to call [Bush] a racist."

2013: Opposition to Abortion

In 2013, Kanye West voiced his opposition to abortion, citing his belief in the Sixth Commandment.

2013: Rant on Artistry

In a 2013 interview, Kanye West claimed that his artistry was comparable to William Shakespeare's, sparking discussions about his self-perception and public persona.

2014: Sentenced to Probation for Paparazzo Altercation

In 2014, following an altercation with a paparazzo at the Los Angeles Airport, Kanye West was sentenced to two years' probation for misdemeanor battery. He was also required to attend 24 anger management sessions, perform 250 hours of community service, and pay restitution to the photographer.

2015: Protests Against Pan American Games Performance

In 2015, Kanye West's scheduled performance at the Pan American Games' closing ceremony sparked protests, with a petition to cancel his appearance receiving 54,000 signatures.

2015: Civil Lawsuit Settlement

In 2015, a separate civil lawsuit brought by a paparazzo against Kanye West, resulting from an altercation, was settled a week before it was due for trial.

June 2016: Champions Single Release and Controversial Famous Video

In June 2016, Kanye West released "Champions", the lead single from the GOOD Music album Cruel Winter. Also in June, he released a controversial music video for "Famous" depicting wax figures of celebrities sleeping nude.

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December 2016: Meeting with President-Elect Donald Trump

In December 2016, Kanye West met with President-elect Donald Trump to discuss bullying, supporting teachers, modernizing curriculums, and violence in Chicago.

February 2017: Deletion of Pro-Trump Tweets

In February 2017, Kanye West deleted all his tweets about Donald Trump, reportedly disliking the new president's policies, particularly the travel ban.

April 2018: Reiteration of Support for Donald Trump

In April 2018, Kanye West reiterated his support for Donald Trump, reaffirming his political stance.

2018: Feud with Drake over 'Lift Yourself'

In 2018, Kanye West became embroiled in a feud with Drake after using an instrumental Drake wanted for the song "Lift Yourself," which was considered trolling by journalists and fans.

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2018: "Slavery Was a Choice" Controversy

In 2018, Kanye West stated that the 400-year enslavement of Africans "sounds like a choice," later clarifying his comments were about mental enslavement. He apologized for the remark that August.

July 4, 2020: Presidential Election Announcement

On July 4, 2020, Kanye West announced via Twitter his intention to run in the 2020 presidential election.

July 15, 2020: Filing with the Federal Election Commission

On July 15, 2020, official paperwork was filed with the Federal Election Commission for Kanye West, under the "BDY" Party affiliation.

July 2020: Statements on Taxes and Foreign Policy

In July 2020, Kanye West admitted to Forbes that he lacked knowledge on issues such as taxes and foreign policy.

July 2020: Abortion Consideration Revelation

In July 2020, during a presidential campaign rally, Kanye West revealed that he had previously considered abortion during Kim Kardashian's first pregnancy but has since adopted anti-abortion views.

November 4, 2020: Presidential Concession

On November 4, 2020, Kanye West conceded the presidential election via Twitter after receiving 66,365 votes across 12 states, averaging 0.32%.

January 4, 2021: Report of Pressuring Election Worker

According to Reuters, on January 4, 2021, a publicist linked to Kanye West pressured a Georgia election worker to falsely confess to election tampering to support Trump's claims.

August 29, 2021: Donda Album Release

After multiple delays and listening parties, Kanye West's album "Donda" was released on August 29, 2021. West claimed it was released early without his approval and that Universal altered the tracklist.

December 2021: Report on Undisclosed Campaign Payments

In December 2021, The Daily Beast reported that Kanye West's presidential campaign received millions in services from a secret network of Republican operatives without proper reporting, allegedly concealing a connection.

January 2022: Dating Julia Fox and Public Outbursts

In January 2022, Julia Fox confirmed she was dating Kanye West. During this time, West publicly stated he wanted his "family back" and lashed out at Kim Kardashian's new boyfriend, Pete Davidson, leading to criticism and his removal as a performer from the 64th Annual Grammy Awards due to "concerning online behavior".

June 29, 2022: Copyright Infringement Complaint Filed

On June 29, 2022, a complaint was filed in U.S. District Court in New York alleging copyright infringement due to unauthorized use of a sample on the song "Flowers". The complaint claimed that Kanye West sampled Marshall Jefferson's 1986 house track "Move Your Body" without permission or compensation.

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July 2022: Lawsuit by David Casavant Archive

In July 2022, Kanye West was sued for $416,000 by the fashion rental company the David Casavant Archive for failing to make payments on and return 13 rented pieces.

October 2022: Decline in Net Worth

In October 2022, Forbes estimated Kanye West's net worth had dropped to $400 million, largely due to Adidas terminating their partnership following antisemitic statements.

November 2022: Antisemitic Statements and Dinner with Nick Fuentes

In November 2022, Kanye West faced widespread condemnation after making antisemitic statements and appearing at a dinner hosted by Donald Trump with white nationalist Nick Fuentes. He faced termination of collaborations and partnerships with various companies.

December 2022: New Song Release After Controversies

In December 2022, following weeks of controversial antisemitic statements, Kanye West released a new song, "Someday We'll All Be Free", on his Instagram.

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2022: Controversy for Antisemitic Views

From 2022, Kanye West faced widespread condemnation and lost sponsors/partnerships for expressing antisemitic views and sympathizing with Nazi ideology.

2022: Abortion as 'Genocide'

In 2022, Kanye West described abortion as "genocide and population control" of black people.

July 2023: Twitter Account Restoration

In July 2023, Twitter reinstated Kanye West's account after he provided assurances that he would not post harmful content.

December 2023: Apology for Antisemitic Remarks

In December 2023, Kanye West issued a written apology on Instagram for his past antisemitic remarks weeks before his album's release. He also said that some of the stuff he was saying was true.

March 2024: Declaration of God Status

During an interview in March 2024, Kanye West revealed he has "issues with Jesus" after missed prayers, before declaring himself as God.

June 29, 2024: Travel to Moscow for Gosha Rubchinskiy's Birthday

On June 29, 2024, Kanye West traveled to Moscow, Russia, to celebrate the 40th birthday of Russian fashion designer Gosha Rubchinskiy, resulting in criticism and being labeled an "enemy of Ukraine" by a Ukrainian politician due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

August 2024: Milo Yiannopoulos' Affidavit

In August 2024, Kanye West's former Chief of Staff, Milo Yiannopoulos, stated in an affidavit that West was addicted to nitrous oxide and alleged details of the addiction with Thomas Connelly.

2024: Damon Dash's Statement on West's Actions

In 2024, Damon Dash commented on Kanye West's actions, stating that West 'pulls triggers' and engages in 'one publicity stunt after another'.

2024: Multiple Lawsuits Filed

In 2024, Kanye West was sued three times. The first lawsuit, filed by a former security guard in April, accused him of racial discrimination. The second, filed by a former assistant in June, accused him of wrongful termination, sexual harassment, and breach of contract. The third, filed by a former model in November, accused him of sexual assault and strangulation.

February 2025: Love for Hitler and Swastika T-Shirt Sales

In February 2025, Kanye West professed his love for Hitler on Twitter and purchased local advertising during Super Bowl LIX, directing viewers to his website where he sold a swastika T-shirt.

April 2025: Claim of Bianca Censori Leaving and Reconciliation

In April 2025, Kanye West claimed in the song "Bianca" that Bianca Censori had left him following his controversial Twitter comments. However, later that month, he shared a photo showing that they were still together.

April 2025: Incestuous Relationship Revelation

In April 2025, Kanye West publicly disclosed that he had an incestuous relationship with a male cousin during their childhood. He mentioned the relationship started when they attempted to reenact what they saw in gay pornography magazines that West had discovered in his mother's closet and that he performed oral sex on his cousin until he was 14, when he ended the relationship.

May 2025: Lawsuit Against Thomas Connelly

In May 2025, Kanye West and Censori sued dentist Thomas Connelly for medical malpractice and professional negligence, alleging that Connelly's actions led to increased confusion, mood instability, anxiety, and depression for West.

May 2025: Renouncing Antisemitism and Social Media Tirades

In May 2025, Rolling Stone reported that Kanye West's social media tirades turned him into "a cultural and business pariah". That month, West renounced antisemitism, though the sincerity of his renouncement was questioned.

July 2025: Former Assistant Amended Lawsuit

In July 2025, a former assistant amended a lawsuit against Kanye West to include accusations of stalking, sexual battery, sex trafficking, and false imprisonment.

2025: Insults to Hip-Hop Artists

During rants in 2025, Kanye West insulted numerous hip-hop artists including Drake, Future, Iggy Azalea, Jay-Z, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Metro Boomin, Playboi Carti, and Travis Scott.

2025: Loss of Sponsors and Partnerships

In 2025, Kanye West continued to face the consequences of his antisemitic views, including the loss of sponsors and partnerships.

2025: West's Explanation in 'In Whose Name?'

In the 2025 documentary 'In Whose Name?', Kanye West attributed his controversial statements and actions to his bipolar disorder, describing them as performance art.

January 2026: Apology in The Wall Street Journal

In January 2026, Kanye West published an open letter in The Wall Street Journal, apologizing for his past antisemitic remarks and behavior, which he attributed to manic episodes and refusal to accept his bipolar disorder diagnosis.

February 2026: Malibu Mansion Renovation Trial

In late February 2026, Kanye West and Bianca Censori are scheduled to testify in trial related to West's Malibu mansion renovation. The trial, which began on February 24, involves a lawsuit filed by Tony Saxon, a construction worker, who alleges unpaid wages and dangerous working conditions.