Kanye Fans Are Allegedly Harassing the Artist He's Accused of Copying

Kanye West fans are allegedly harassing Rita Minissi, the photographer he's accused of copying in his latest Yeezy Season 6 campaign. Find out what Minissi had to say about the alleged plagiarism here.

Kanye West Performs During Saint Pablo Tour
Getty

Image via Getty / Kevin Mazur

Kanye West Performs During Saint Pablo Tour

Did Kanye West rip off photographer Rita Minissi's work for his new Yeezy Season 6 campaign? We can't say for sure, but just days after the copycat allegations made the rounds, Minissi is clapping back and sharing some rather troubling details about her recent interactions with Kanye fans.

In a statement issued to Refinery29, Minissi says she's "deeply distressed" by the ordeal but adds that it's nothing new in the art world. "The greater issue here is that a large corporate entity is profiting off of years of labor from a self-funded artist by turning something cathartic into capital... This is not an isolated instance," the photographer said.

Perhaps more concerning than the potentially plagiarized work is the feedback Minissi has received. She tells Refinery29 that she's been harassed by rabid 'Ye fans over the last few days.

"A painful personal trauma is defining my identity in news media, while I receive hateful messages from strangers when I’ve done nothing wrong and never desired to be at the center of a public spectacle," Minissi said.

West's latest creative blunder was documented by Instagram account @diet_prada (seen below), which pointed out the similarities between the artist's Yeezy Season 6 lookbook and Minissi's photography from 2015. 

Last month, Kanye was accused of biting former Nike employee and current Givenchy design director Tony Spackman's work on a sketch for Yeezy base layer clothing. Days later, West tweeted that a member of his design team had been fired for the infringement. "In a moment of inspiration, energy and excitement I had posted this sketch and would like to acknowledge the true creator of this amazing work, Tony Spackman," West wrote on twitter.