Kanye West is reportedly countersuing ex-business partner, Thomas St. John, who accused the embattled artist of breach of contract. According to TMZ, West claims he made a deal with St. John when he was “sleep-deprived, stressed, anxious and under duress.” West, who was in the middle of his divorce from Kim Kardashian at the time, believes this should make the contract unenforceable.
West says he met St. John around March 2022 and agreed to a $300,000 monthly retainer. But West was having one of his social media meltdowns and thinks St. John took advantage of his delicate mental state. West says he signed the paperwork without the presence and counsel of his lawyers. He also points out the number of paparazzi encounters amid the divorce was causing sleep deprivation, stress and anxiousness.
St. John filed a lawsuit against Kanye West in October 2022. He says after getting the first three payments, West got “heated and aggressive” during a meeting at Nobu in Malibu, saying he didn’t want to work with St. John anymore.
The was a clause in his contract, however, that stated St. John couldn’t be fired for the first 18 months of the agreement. West called the 18-month term “bulls***” and told St. John, “You’re insane for even thinking I would stick to it.”
St. John is asking for $4.5 million in damages, $900,000 for the months missed so far and another $3.6 million for the remainder of the contract. He wants punitive damages as well. If West has his way, it will be dismissed.
