Kanye West sued over heated confrontation with driver filming him

Nichol Lechmanik is suing the rapper for assault, battery, and negligence, saying he gave her a 'death stare' before tossing her phone into traffic.

Watch the moment Kanye West confronts a fellow driver who he caught filming him in January

A US-based photojournalist is suing Kanye West for assault, battery, and negligence following a heated confrontation where he allegedly threw her phone into the street in January.

Footage of Nichol Lechmanik, 45, captures the moment the rapper approached her vehicle, where she is filming him from the driver’s seat, and says: “You all ain’t gonna run up on me like that… If I say stop, stop with your cameras.”

He then grabs the phone out of her hand tosses it away from the car, which Ms Lechmanik says landed in front of oncoming traffic.

The incident was filmed by her business partner who was recording from the passenger’s seat.

Nichol Lechmanik (left) with her lawyer, Gloria Allred. / Credit: Gloria Allred/Facebook

West, 45, was reportedly driving home from his eldest daughter North West’s basketball game with his wife, Bianca Censori, when he noticed paparazzi on his tail.

Ms Lechmanik claims the encounter left her traumatised and humiliated after West gave her a “death stare”.

She also said that she lost earnings as she was unable to return to her occupation of photographing celebrities.

Ms Lechmanik did file a report at the Sheriff’s Department later that day, according to US outlet TMZ, but he was not charged.

West was banned from Twitter last year for praising Adolf Hitler. / Credit: AP

She is being represented by high-profile lawyer Gloria Allred, who posted a press conference about the lawsuit on her Facebook page where the video was shown.

Her client is also seeking an injunction blocking West from “touching, annoying or threatening not just herself, but any photographer,” TMZ also reported.

The musician has attracted a host of criticism for anti-semitic remarks made on his social media and beyond, such as saying he sees “good things about Hitler” in an interview with right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.

He shares four children, North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm, with world-famous reality star Kim Kardashian.

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