Kanye West's Manager Abou ‘Bu’ Thiam Slammed With Battery & Assault Lawsuit
Kanye "Ye" West's notoriety seems to be rubbing off on those around him as his manager Abou 'Bu' Thiam is getting dragged for allegedly assaulting a woman.
According to court documents obtained by The Blast, the drama between the Hip-hop star's rep and the alleged victim occurred in 2022 — leaving the plaintiff with severe emotional distress and physical pain that affected her livelihood.
Woman Claims Kanye 'Ye' West's Manager's Aggressiveness Left Her With Multiple Problems
The plaintiff, London Knight, filed a battery and assault lawsuit against Thiam at the Superior Court of California. In her documents, she claimed that "on or about May 2, 2022," she was physically abused by Ye's manager.
Knight doesn't explain what led to the alleged altercation between her and Thiam; however, she noted it occurred at an event. The alleged perpetrator reportedly reached for her phone before yelling aggressively: "I don't give a f-ck; you don't know who I am."
The plaintiff claimed she tried escaping Thiam's anger by moving towards security, but he stopped her by grabbing her left arm and taking her bag. She stressed that this incident left her feeling "startled" and "scared."
Knight noted that Thiam "intended to cause and did cause a harmful contact" without consent. The alleged damages didn't end there, as the aftermath of the battery saw her employing "physicians and surgeons for medical examination, treatment, and care of these injuries."
The Woman Claims She Was 'Disabled' By The Incident
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Knight's list of damages also includes claims of impairment. She alleged that Thiam's battery left her "disabled and may be disabled in the future," thereby preventing her from performing necessary work duties.
She stressed that Thiam's battery had not only affected her livelihood but also left her with severe emotional scars. According to the plaintiff, she suffered "extreme mental anguish and physical pain," which had, in turn, led to her claims of a "permanent disability."
Knight wants to prove her case to a jury, and she is suing Thiam for compensatory damages. This includes "mental pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment, lost wages and benefits, and emotional distress damages."
The list continues with compensation for her past and future loss of earnings, payment of her medical bills, punitive charges, and all expenses related to the lawsuit — from her attorney fees to other costs incurred.
Abou' Bu' Thiam Achieved A Career Milestone A Month Before The Alleged Assault
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A month before his alleged confrontation with Knight, Thiam was crowned as the executive vice president of Columbia Records in 2022.
The label has welcomed several famous artists like Adele, Harry Styles, Lil Nas X, and more, with Ye's manager bringing new faces through a partnership with the CEO.
Thiam and Columbia Records CEO Ron Perry began working closely through the joint venture, Buvision, where he signed the artists KayCyy and Rican. At the time, Ye's rep raved about their partnership, saying:
"We all know breaking a new artist is very difficult, and to see the Columbia team be so committed in the early stages of KayCyy's career — from marketing, strategic branding, his EP rollout, etc. — was very impressive."
While this promotion marked a significant rise in Thiam's career, he had already made a name for himself in the music industry.
As the brother of the iconic singer Akon, he played a part in his sibling's early career and that of other stars like Lady Gaga, Jeremih, and T-Pain, per Variety.
Inside Thiam's Career And His Relationship With Ye
Thiam became the vice president of A&R at Def Jam at 28 and is the youngest person ever to hold that position. Thanks to his status, he was introduced to Ye by the label's then-CEO, Antonio "L.A." Reid.
Their first meeting occurred at the rapper's Hawaii studio, where he was recording the album "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy." Recalling the magical moment, Thiam stressed that Reid helped him achieve multiple wins in his career, saying:
"L.A. threw me in the fire early on in my career by allowing me to A&R breakout albums such as Rihanna's 'Loud/Talk That Talk' and Jay and Ye's 'Watch The Throne' album."
He then added, "I oversaw multi-million-dollar recording budgets, marketing campaigns, and liaised with label personnel, producers and songwriters alike, to help ensure their success while mentoring a young cast of aspiring executives in the process."
Kanye "Ye" West Is Also Involved In A Battery Case
Like his manager, Ye is involved in a battery case that allegedly involved him punching one of the Houston brothers. The Blast reported the incident occurred after the rapper's wife, Bianca Censori, claimed she was sexually assaulted by one of the siblings.
However, it seemed the incident was being wrapped up behind the scenes, as authorities claimed there were no new updates since the battery allegations were filed.
Cops were reportedly preparing to move the case forward to the L.A. City Attorney's Office, where they would decide how to proceed.
Ye previously slammed the Houston brothers on Justin Laboy's "The Download" podcast, patting himself on the back for punching one of them. "He had to go to bed early. [I] tucked this n-gga in," he proudly declared while laughing, "He had to go to bed early."
