Photographer sues Kanye West over alleged assaultKanye West meets with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, October 11, 2018. A photographer who claims Kanye West threw her cell phone to the ground in a confrontation is suing the troubled rapper for assault, she said June1, 2023. Nichol Lechmanik said the artist, who is now formally known as Ye, caused her "great mental and emotional pain" in the January confrontation. LOS ANGELES, United States — A photographer who claims Kanye West threw her cell phone to the ground in a confrontation is suing the troubled rapper for assault, she said Thursday. Nichol Lechmanik said the artist, who is now formally known as Ye, caused her "great mental and emotional pain" in the January confrontation.