{"id":21121,"date":"2026-10-09T19:02:58","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T19:02:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interspacemusic.com\/blog\/judge-stops-kanyes-effort-to-censor-antisemitism-in-lawsuit\/"},"modified":"2026-10-10T13:53:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-10T13:53:09","slug":"judge-stops-kanyes-effort-to-censor-antisemitism-in-lawsuit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/interspacemusic.com\/blog\/judge-stops-kanyes-effort-to-censor-antisemitism-in-lawsuit\/","title":{"rendered":"Ye Loses Bid to Remove Antisemitism References From Copyright Suit"},"content":{"rendered":"

A federal judge on Thursday rejected Ye<\/strong>‘s request to remove references to antisemitism and Alice Merton<\/a><\/strong>‘s Holocaust family history from her copyright lawsuit<\/a>. The ruling allows allegations explaining her refusal to approve a sample to remain.<\/p>\n

Why Merton refused clearance<\/h2>\n

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 \u201cBlindside\u201d<\/strong> in his track \u201cGun to My Head.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

A descendant of Holocaust survivors, Merton explicitly refused clearance because of Ye’s history of antisemitic statements and conduct.<\/p>\n

Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha<\/strong> found that the challenged allegations were relevant to the dispute.<\/p>\n

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,<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Ye’s apology<\/h2>\n

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<\/strong> car crash.<\/p>\n

I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change,<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

He also wrote:<\/p>\n

It does not excuse what I did, though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Shows and entry restrictions<\/h2>\n

Ye has been denied entry into several countries and venues while promoting his album BULLY<\/strong>. He has also performed before large crowds during a series of stadium shows this year, including at:<\/p>\n