Kanye West's fashion brand, Yeezy, has been ordered by a Manhattan Supreme Court judge to pay $300,000 in damages to freelance creative director Katelyn Mooney. The lawsuit was filed after Mooney claimed that she was not paid in full for her work on Yeezy's YZY SHDZ campaign, Complex reports.
The deal was discussed over text messages with Yeezy employees and evidenced in invoices sent to the brand by Mooney, as there was no proper contract in place. Mooney had expected to be paid $110,000, but received only $15,000, forcing her to cover her rent by maxing out her credit cards and taking out loans.
The case resulted in a default ruling when Yeezy failed to respond to court documents or show up to court, leading to the court finding the brand responsible. Yeezy was ordered to pay $95,000 in damages and $205,000 in statutory damages.
This ruling comes after Adidas, a former collaborator of Yeezy, was sued by investors over their failed partnership. The partnership fell apart last year due to Kanye's embrace of anti-Semitic sentiment, and top executives at Adidas have been accused of being aware of the risks that come with working with Kanye West, who had expressed problematic beliefs “as early as 2018.”
The judge's ruling is a result of Yeezy's sheer incompetence and negligence in failing to respond to court documents or show up to court. The lack of a proper contract in place has also raised concerns over the brand's business practices. This ruling serves as a reminder to companies to ensure they have proper contracts and to respond to court documents in a timely manner to avoid legal consequences.
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