Kanye West is facing fresh legal problems alongside his ‘nuclear’ war with his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, as he is now being sued for copyright infringement in connection to his notorious anti-Semitic outbursts.
German singer-songwriter Alice Merton has taken legal action against West over what she describes as his ‘unauthorized sample’ of her 2022 song Blindside.
Merton claims she only realized he had sampled her music after it made an appearance on West’s song Gun To My Head, featuring Ty Dolla $ign and Kid Cudi, which debuted at a live event in 2023.
According to Merton’s court documents, West then requested permission to use her song, which she denied because ‘the artist’s values are contrary to our values.’ When a recording of West’s song was released last year, the sample was featured anyway.
Over the past few years, West has become infamous for a string of anti-Semitic rants, including praise for Hitler and a vow to go ‘death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.’Â
Merton pointed out that she ‘is a German resident who has close ties to the Holocaust through Jewish family members who survived horrors and as such feels closely connected to it,’ in legal documents obtained by People.Â
DailyMail.com has reached to to representatives for West for comment.Â
Kanye West is facing fresh legal problems amid his ‘nuclear’ war with his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, as he is now being sued for copyright infringement; pictured last March
Merton, along with two corporations she co-founded, is suing West in federal court in the United States over what the plaintiffs argue was his ‘unauthorized commercial exploitation of the musical composition Blindside.’
Gun To My Head received its world premiere in December 2023 at West’s headline-making live event in Miami, at which point ‘the public became aware that it contained an unauthorized sample’ of Blindside, per the lawsuit.
In February 2024, Merton allegedly received a request from West via BMG Rights Management to use Blindside, which she and the corporations say they rebuffed.
BMG then purportedly asked via email why West was turned down, to which the plaintiffs claim they replied that ‘the artist’s values are contrary to our values.’
Merton noted her ‘significant concern’ about the ‘anti-sematic [sic], racist remarks which were made publicly and continue to be made publicly’ by West.
West’s album Vultures 2 was released in August 2024, but Gun To My Head – which had already earned a fanbase – was left off it in the wake of Merton’s objections.
Merton alleges that after the song’s exclusion from the album, West’s ‘relentless’ fans began issuing ‘threats to Merton should she not clear the sample,’ to the point she became fearful of ‘returning to America for further tour dates.’
West then released a recording of Gun To My Head in August 2024, including the sample of Blindside – after Merton purportedly refused to let him use it.
West and Kardashian, who are pictured at Diddy’s 50th birthday party in 2019, separated in 2021 after nearly seven years of marriageÂ
German singer-songwriter Alice Merton has taken legal action against West over what she describes as his ‘unauthorized sample’ of her 2022 song Blindside
The plaintiffs are asking for a jury trial on ‘all matters so triable,’ and are demanding ‘injunctive relief and damages’ from West for the sample.
Last month, West’s anti-Semitism hit the headlines again when he wrote on X that ‘I love Hitler’ and ‘I’m a Nazi,’ which he later backpedaled on, posting: ‘After further reflection I’ve come to the realization that I’m not a Nazi.’
The new lawsuit comes amid West’s dramatic feud with his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, who separated from him in 2021 after nearly seven years of marriage.
Their battle of wills burst into the public eye earlier this month after West disregarded Kardashian’s objections and dropped a song featuring their 11-year-old daughter North along with Diddy, who is awaiting trial on charges including sex trafficking.Â
Sources then claimed Kardashian ended one of North’s visits with West because self-described misogynist Andrew Tate was going to be present with his brother Tristan.
The alleged episode with the Tate brothers – who are facing charges in Romania including human trafficking and sex with a minor – is said to have prompted Kardashian to call an emergency custody hearing.Â
Kardashian is said to be considering applying for full custody of the four children she shares with West – North, 11, Saint, nine, Chicago , seven, and Psalm, sixÂ
West aimed a string of scathing rants at Kardashian on X last week, attacking her parenting and complaining that a white woman was in ‘control’ of his ‘black children.’
Kardashian is said to be considering applying for full custody of the four children she shares with West – North, 11, Saint, nine, Chicago, seven, and Psalm, six.Â
A source claimed Kardashian and her children were worried West was ‘sinking further down’ mentally amid the former couple’s explosive clash, via Page Six.
The insider alleged West, who maintains he was incorrectly diagnosed with bipolar disorder, was ‘obviously not taking his meds, if he was we wouldn’t be here.’
After his outbursts on X, West, 47, is purported to have flown to Tokyo, where multiple sources said he immediately became calmer, according to TMZ.
