Kanye West Says He Attacked Paparazzi out of Self Defense

By: Taren Vaughan

Kanye West battery charges a result of rapper fearing for his safety? Kanye West’s personal life is going well right now as the rapper/producer is enjoying fatherhood with his precious baby girl North West. As Kanye’s personal life appears to be on the up and up, things aren’t exactly going the same way when it comes to his professional career. This past summer, ‘Ye dropped his highly anticipated “Yeezus” album and he wasn’t too thrilled about the numbers his latest project managed to pull in as rising Hip-Hop star J. Cole managed to surpass Kanye in album sales with his sophomore project “Born Sinner.” Low record sales are the least of Kanye’s troubles at the moment though as one of his most recent attacks on the paparazzi has resulted in the rapper getting slapped with a lawsuit.

Kanye’s attack on the pap at the LAX airport led to an ambulance being called to the scene and was shortly followed by a sizable lawsuit. The lawsuit was just the beginning of the rapper’s legal troubles surrounding the incident as it was later reported that Kanye got hit with criminal battery and attempted grand theft charges which could land him in jail for up to one year if he is convicted. Kanye didn’t speak out when the news of the charges first broke. But being the outspoken individual he is, it was only a matter of time before Kanye shared his side of the story.

Kanye West claims he attacked the paparazzi at the airport because he feared for his safety. Kanye’s response to the lawsuit, which was obtained by TMZ and filed by Shawn Holley, says that the rapper felt “his safety was in immediate danger” and acted merely out of self defense.