Ye says the man he is accused of assaulting last week was trying to profit off his image – and the rapper blamed the media for describing the alleged victim as a fan.
“Y’all trying to gaslight me,” Ye told a paparazzi as he arrived at Miami International Airport on Saturday. “It wasn’t a fan. It was somebody seeking to make money off of it and not share money with me.”
(iHeartRadio.ca Music News described Poplawski as a “supposed fan.”)
Justin Poplawski, a veteran autograph hound, claims he was punched after he approached Ye outside the Soho Warehouse in Los Angeles at approximately 3 a.m. on Jan. 13 seeking an autograph.
Ye commented on the altercation after telling paparazzi he believes they should be sharing revenue with the artists they photograph.
“Right now y’all get to shoot us without having to pay,” he said. “Imma change that. I’m not saying it in a negative way. It’s just like, right now, it’s just really one-sided.
“You guys can follow us, you guys can stand out front of a hotel at any given time – you don’t give us any percentage of what you’re making off of us, off of our kids, and I’m gonna change that.”
In a video clip of his comments posted online, Ye did not explain how he plans to bring about change.
“We all gotta make money together … It can’t be a one-sided thing,” he said. “That’s why it feels vulture-like.”
Many big photo agencies, in fact, have revenue-sharing deals with celebrities or their reps in exchange for information on their whereabouts. Stars often use paparazzi to help showcase brands or promote new projects.
Ye (fka Kanye West) confronted paparazzi today about them profiting off of his image, says he wants a percentage of their earnings pic.twitter.com/ZfJiD6Ju8i
— Kurrco (fka Squirt Reynolds) (@Kurrco) January 23, 2022