Kanye West sues UK insurance company that refuses to cover cannabis charges

American rapper Kanye West is suing Lloyd’s of London, a British insurance company. According to the company and legal documents, cannabis was the cause of the nervous breakdown the rapper suffered last year, reports the British newspaper The Daily Mail.

Kanye West suffered emotional distress in November 2016. Indeed, everyone remembers that infamous incident in which the rapper’s wife, Kim Kardashian, was attacked and had her jewelry stolen at her Paris hotel last year. Kanye West was in the middle of a concert across the Channel at the time and rushed to Paris after the robbery.

In the wake of this incident, the rapper canceled two shows on his « Saint Pablo Tour«. The tour thus came to a very abrupt end, as he was admitted to the psychiatric ward at UCLA Hospital Center in Los Angeles, where he will remain for a few days.”.

Kanye West is insured by the London-based insurance company. He explains that the company has not reimbursed him for his team and the lost wages resulting from the tour’s cancellation. As a result, the rapper is suing the insurance company and is seeking $10 million, based on an article from the Hollywood Reporter.

Lloyd’s of London Points the Finger at Cannabis Use

The insurance company thus refused to cover the rapper, citing his cannabis use during his tour. It explained that Kanye West’s cannabis use led to nervous breakdowns that caused him to cancel tour dates. The company has a specific clause that allows it to deny coverage for incidents resulting from alcohol and/or drug use.

Howard King, the attorney for Kanye West and several members of his team, has filed a complaint in a California court. The attorney explains that «the bank has not provided even a semblance of a coherent explanation for its refusal to pay. Kanye West paid several hundred thousand dollars for insurance covering concert cancellations and should have been reimbursed for it.»

Mr. King also stated that his cannabis use is not grounds for denying payment, as he suffered from a «serious and debilitating medical condition» and was using the substance for therapeutic purposes.

«Artists think they’re buying peace of mind. Insurers know they’re selling them a ticket to court. This attitude is emblematic of a modus operandi involving endless claims and a hunt for excuses so they never have to pay,» concludes the rapper’s lawyer.

Mehdi Bautier