The failed partnership between clothing brand Gap and disgraced rapper Kanye West continues stewing beef — now with a new $2 million lawsuit over a modified storefront in downtown Los Angeles.
In the fallout of Kanye West’s failed partnership with clothing brand The Gap, Inc., the company is now suing the rapper in a new $2 million lawsuit.
According to the filing, Gap is seeking damages to cover a lawsuit from Art City Center — a company that owns a building in downtown Los Angeles leased to Gap as a storefront for Kanye’s Yeezy clothing line.
Art City Center says the building underwent numerous unapproved alterations during the Yeezy collaboration in 2021 and 2022. The company is suing The Gap over the cost of restoring the premises, which The Gap is looking to pass to Kanye.
Gap says its contract with the rapper stipulates that the company would not be held liable for any claims made against them of this nature — that any alterations to the building were made at the direction of Kanye without Gap’s approval or knowledge.
“Defendants made numerous alterations to the building at the subject premises without Gap’s approval, much less pursuant to the terms of the Agreement,” wrote Gap’s lawyers in a complaint filed on April 2. “The performance of the work not only breached the Strategic Agreement, but the manner of preparing for and performing the work caused the need for (…) repairs and restoration.”
“The Gap denies that it has any liability to (Art City),” writes the company. “However, if the Gap does have any such liability, any damages allegedly sustained by the plaintiff, if any, were the result of the actions or inactions of (West).”
The clothing company is seeking more than $2 million, which covers the amount Gap believes will be charged to repair the Art City Center premises, plus Gap’s attorney fees.
Gap is among many former business partners to split with West and his Yeezy brand in the past year following his erratic behavior and antisemitic statements. Only a year prior, Gap had announced a 10-year deal with West for a line called Yeezy Gap, in which Gap was to open five retail locations for the partnership — including the property owned by Art City Center.
But Gap is not the only clothing brand facing legal problems in the wake of its failed partnership with the disgraced rapper. Last month, Adidas was hit with a still-pending class-action lawsuit alleging that the company knew about West’s troubling “personal behavior” years before ending its partnership with him but failed to warn investors.