Kanye West's love-hate relationship with the paparazzi has been well-documented throughout his time in the limelight. His recent interactions with the press paint a particular disdain towards the media but there’s something about TMZ cameras, in particular, that gets under his skin. On Monday, January 29th, 2024, a reporter from TMZ approached Ye outside of Charlie Wilson’s Hollywood Walk Of Fame ceremony in Los Angeles only to face the wrath of Yeezy in an attempt to find out more about his marriage to Bianca Censori.
Paparazzi certainly tend to go overboard in hopes of capturing a viral moment. In this instance, Ye went on a long-winded rant towards her publicly before extending an invitation to work for him with double the salary that TMZ offers her. In light of his recent interaction with TMZ, we’ve rounded up Kanye West’s most shocking interactions with the paparazzi.
Kanye West Vs. Pole
Accompanied by a pregnant Kim Kardashian, Ye attempted to dodge paparazzi only to run into a pole. The swarm of photographers and camerapeople around him were undoubtedly left in stitches but that only riled Ye up further. As a result, he lashed out at reporters while Kim attempted to calm him down.
"It’s 4 AM – Shut The F*ck Up"
If there’s any footage of Ye that captures his frustrations with the paparazzi, it’s this notorious video where he’s approached at 4 in the morning outside of his home. In this clip, Kanye West enters the garage of his home as paps ask him about Jimmy Kimmel. However, as Kanye returned to the scene, paps awaited his arrival. “Stop talkin’ to me, man, stop asking me questions,” he demanded. “You out in front of my house at 4 a.m., talkin’ about ‘how’s it going?’ It’s not going good. You’re out here trying to make money off of us.” Although a hilariously iconic moment, it provides insight into Ye’s general issues regarding the media.
LAX Scuffle #1
In 2008, Kanye West got into an intense scuffle with paparazzi at Los Angeles Airport. This time, police arrested Kanye, his bodyguard, and road manager after smashing the cameras of two photographers. According to TMZ, the photographer began taking photos when Ye lunged toward him, grabbing the camera. One of TMZ’s photographers also began taking photos before Ye’s bodyguard took his camera equipment and smashed it. Ye was charged with counts of misdemeanor battery, vandalism, and grand theft but ultimately, the charges were dropped.
LAX Scuffle #2
In 2013, paps spotted Ye at LAX and attempted to pry a quote out of him. And while Ye tried to get them to leave him alone, they continued to pester him about why he has a bad attitude towards tabloid photographers. “I told you not to talk to me, right?... what you’re trying to do is get me in trouble so I steal off on you and have to pay you like $250,000,” he said before the photographer continued taking pictures. From there, Kanye leaped towards him and wrestled him to the ground.
As expected, Ye was sued over the incident. The photographer, later identified as Daniel Ramos, accused Ye of causing an injury to his right hip during the scuffle, as well as assault, battery, negligence, and interference with civil rights in a lawsuit, which was eventually settled. However, Ye also faced a misdemeanor count of battery for the incident with the pap, leading to two years of probation after pleading no contest.
Kanye West Vs. TMZ Reporter
While it’s fresh on our minds, it’s hard not to deny how iconic Kanye West’s recent encounter with a TMZ reporter is. The rapper, donning a black mask, snapped at the woman after she asked him if his wife “Bianca has her free will” outside of Charlie Wilson’s Walk Of Fame ceremony. Immediately, he ripped the phone from the reporter’s hand and berated her for asking him such an offensive question. The woman was shaken by the interaction as Ye scolded her before police arrived at the scene. While the situation was de-escalated, Ye gave the woman her phone back and asked an assistant to get her contact for future employment opportunities.
Yeezus Brings Peace
Not all Kanye West interactions end on horrible notes. There have been several times where he’s had some pretty civil encounters with the paparazzi. Back in 2016, Ye was swarmed by fans at an airport. His celebrity status naturally created pandemonium, which led to a few paps getting into it. However, Kanye managed to break it up, giving one of the individuals a warm embrace.