Yeezy is suing a former intern for violating a nondisclosure agreement, which included a “ $ 500,000 indemnity commission. ”
Ryan Inwards, who was reportedly a summer intern for Kanye West’s clothing line in 2020, reportedly shared “ confidential Yeezy photos on his Instagram, ” according to a complaint filed with the Los Angeles County Superior Court, obtained by PEOPLE on Friday .
By signing the company’s legally binding contract, which is often used to protect confidential business information, he agreed to refrain from posting “unauthorized material” on his personal “social media sites” during and after months of employment.
Legal action: Kanye West’s clothing line Yeezy is suing a former intern for violating a nondisclosure agreement, which included “ $ 500,000 in damages ” (seen on the runway of the Yeezy fashion show during Paris Fashion Week in March 2020)
However, Yeezy claims that Inwards uploaded and ignored multiple classified images multiple cease and desist letters to remove these items.
The complaint also noted that Inwards “ shared non-public images on Instagram and did not delete them, even after ” threatening legal action.
Since the news came out, The Hollywood Reporter pointed out that an “ Instagram account of the same name now has zero posts. ”
Bad for the company: Ryan Inwards, who reportedly interned with the high-end brand from February 2020 to summer 2020, reportedly “ shared confidential Yeezy photos ” on his Instagram, according to a complaint filed with the Los Angeles County Superior Court, obtained by PEOPLE on Friday; West seen in November 2019
Now, the 43-year-old rap mogul’s company appears to be out to enforce half a million dollars in damages for breach of contract and conversion.
In addition, they are “also seeking an injunction to surrender the images and ban similar messages in the future,” THR said.
While it’s unclear what Inwards leaked specifically, his internship coincided with many major announcements for the company, including news that they had signed a ten-year collaboration agreement with Gap to bring the Yeezy label to the masses.
Take Action: 43-year-old rap tycoon clothing store seeks $ half a million in damages for breach of contract and conversion; West and his wife Kim Kardashian West seen on September 16, 2015
Whirl Year: While it’s unclear what Inwards specifically leaked, his internship coincided with many big announcements for the company, including news that they’d signed a ten-year collaboration agreement with Gap to bring the Yeezy label to the masses (French actor Gianni Esposito pictured in Yeezy boost 350 sneakers in 2017)
In July, Forbes magazine also estimated that West’s sneaker empire was a multi-billion dollar business.
Sales for the Yeezy sneaker line, now with Adidas, would top $ 1.5 billion in 2019, and West’s pre-tax income for the past 12 months was $ 150 million, according to Forbes.
West describes his footline as ‘the Lamborghini of the shoes’, a nod to the matte black Lamborghini SUV he owns.
Proud Founder: West describes his footline as ‘the Lamborghini of the shoes’, a nod to the matte black Lamborghini SUV he owns; West seen with his eldest daughter North during Yeezy season 8 last year
West’s business fortune marks a staggering turnaround from just three years ago in late 2016, when he begged Mark Zuckerberg to invest $ 1 billion in his ‘ideas’ and claimed to have $ 53 million in debt.
Late last year, he admitted to being worth “hundreds of millions of dollars,” despite claiming in September that he was worth $ 5 billion after signing his lucrative deal with the Gap.
He and wife Kim Kardashian are reportedly splitting up after six years of marriage, according to recent reports suggesting she’s ‘ready’ to make things work with him.
Bend the Truth: Late last year, he admitted to being worth “hundreds of millions of dollars,” despite claiming in September that he was worth $ 5 billion after signing his lucrative deal with the Gap; seen in 2020