An uninvited Kanye West gets escorted out of Skechers HQ in Manhattan Beach, Calif., Thursday, Dec. 12, 2015. A judge decided Thursday that West is no longer allowed to attend concerts at his parent company’s New York concert venue, despite attempts by West’s lawyers to have U.S. District Judge Richard Sullivan rule otherwise. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kanye West isn’t afraid to break the rules.
The rapper and designer-turned-entertainer, who was once a fixture at the Grammys, was the subject of a judge’s order telling him he can’t attend a concert in his home state Saturday because he hasn’t signed a concert-attendance contract with his record label, Roc Nation.
But, while the judge called West’s actions “reckless” and “irresponsible,” he said West’s request that he be allowed to attend the show “reflects very poorly on him and his actions that have damaged this company.”
“Roc Nation has suffered a significant loss of goodwill as a result of Mr. West’s antics,” the judge wrote.
“I wish to advise the court that Mr. West will attend the concert, as he has the right to do,” Sullivan wrote. “He is free to leave should he wish to do so.”
Skechers is West’s clothing and footwear brand and has been trying to work out a contract with him for months. The fight between the two parties began when West announced he was going to open a pop-up shop inside the company’s headquarters, creating problems when staff complained some of his merchandise might be stolen.
When West refused to change any of his merchandise for a show that was to be held at the company’s factory building in Manhattan Beach, which is run by Roc Nation, the two sides fought over the contract. West sued Roc Nation for copyright infringement and the company countered with a countersuit. A judge sided with the company in May, finding that West used the
