A federal judge on Thursday rejected Ye‘s request to remove references to antisemitism and Alice Merton‘s Holocaust family history from her copyright lawsuit. The ruling allows allegations explaining her refusal to approve a sample to remain.
Why Merton refused clearance
Merton, a German artist, sued Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, in March last year. She alleges that he used an uncleared sample of her song “Blindside” in his track “Gun to My Head.”
A descendant of Holocaust survivors, Merton explicitly refused clearance because of Ye’s history of antisemitic statements and conduct.
Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha found that the challenged allegations were relevant to the dispute.
The court finds that the allegations concerning Merton’s background or Ye’s alleged remarks are not unduly prejudicial and may have some bearing on the litigation, including potentially at trial to explain Plaintiffs’ rationale for denying Defendants’ use of Plaintiffs’ song,
Ye’s apology
Ye issued a lengthy, full-page apology in which he attributed his behavior to bipolar disorder and brain damage he alleged resulted from a 2002 car crash.
I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change,
He also wrote:
It does not excuse what I did, though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.
Shows and entry restrictions
Ye has been denied entry into several countries and venues while promoting his album BULLY. He has also performed before large crowds during a series of stadium shows this year, including at:
- SoFi Stadium in Inglewood
- Alamodome in San Antonio
- Raymond James Stadium in Tampa
He also performed in Istanbul, Türkiye; Arnhem, Netherlands; Tbilisi, Georgia; Madrid, Spain; and Algarve, Portugal.
