Kanye West Allegations Pushed by George Santos

Former Representative George Santos has shared a series of allegations regarding Kanye "Ye" West, following the recent resignation of Milo Yiannopoulos from the rapper and fashion designer's Yeezy brand.

On Wednesday, TMZ reported that far-right commentator Yiannopoulos was stepping down from his role as chief of staff at the brand. He cited West's reported move into producing pornographic content as his reason for removing himself. Newsweek has contacted a representative of West via email for comment. Yiannopoulos and Santos have been contacted via social media for comment.

"I wish Ye every success in the future," TMZ quoted Yiannopoulos as saying. "I have some concerns about his new team, and hope he proceeds with caution."

A copy of Yiannopoulos' letter showed him stating that he "cannot be complicit in the production or dissemination of pornographic films and literature, for moral and religious reasons, but also because such material and the kind of people invariably involved in its production represent an imminent danger to my life as a recovering addict and an unacceptable risk to my spiritual and physical health as a former homosexual."

In tendering his resignation, Yiannopoulos said that he would remain on hand to "deliver an orderly handover by Friday, May 31, 2024, or the first pornography shoot, whichever is sooner."

Yiannopoulos added in his letter to West: "If, at some time in the future, the company publicly and permanently abandons any plan to produce, distribute, or profit from obscene content, it would be an honor to serve you again."

New York Republican Santos became an unexpected voice in the subsequent discussion on late Wednesday. He shared a post on X, formerly Twitter, in which he alleged that West is experiencing a "breakdown" over what he characterized as a mass exodus of staffers.

Santos, who was expelled from the House in early December 2023, alleged that West "has lost his entire team top down and is left with no staff and support," before sharing a series of quotes from unnamed sources.

"The company is going belly up," and, "Kanye is a Danger to himself at this point," were among the quotes shared. "All executives quit and there's not much left to say," read another, ahead of the concluding comment: "It's sad and I hope he gets help."

"The conversation goes on and on," Santos said. "This is an ongoing development and I'll bring more soon."

In late November 2022, West announced he would be running for president in the 2024 election. This followed a disastrous campaign in the 2020 election cycle.

The "Jesus Walks" hitmaker, who has legally changed his name to Ye, said he would be running in 2024 in a video of what may be his campaign logo, a white ball of dots, twisting and spinning with the words "YE 24" printed alongside it.

At the time, West, 46, enlisted the help of Yiannopoulos to run his campaign. The 39-year-old later stepped down from his role in the campaign, which appears to have been abandoned. It is unclear when Yiannopoulos became a part of Yeezy.

West sparked controversy for a November 2022 meeting with Donald Trump and white nationalist Nick Fuentes at the former president's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Yiannopoulos took credit for setting up the meeting.

Around the time West announced his presidential run, the musician lost major brand deals over several antisemitic rants, including one with Adidas for his Yeezy streetwear line, which he said cost him $1 billion. Forbes had valued his Yeezy deal at $1.5 billion, but without it, his fortune dropped to $400 million.

It was also reported that his California-based Christian K-12 school Donda Academy—which was named after West's late mother, Donda West—was shut down last year. West has since been sued by a former staffer.

Meanwhile, Republican Santos was expelled from the House last December following a House Ethics Committee report. The then-congressman was accused of using his campaign funds for personal use; engaging in "fraudulent conduct"; and filing "false or incomplete reports" to the Federal Election Commission while running for office in 2022.

Santos, meanwhile, has maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to charges related to a federal criminal investigation. Following his ousting, Santos turned to Cameo, an app where celebrities can sell personalized videos.