Rapper Kanye West has been the subject of an investigation after an altercation with a fan but he will not be charged, according to reports.
In a statement to TMZ, the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office noted that West, 45, was being investigated for criminal battery, but there was not enough evidence to proceed.
"After a thorough and careful review of all the evidence, our office is declining to file based on no reasonable likelihood of conviction," the statement read.
The incident happened in January at South Santa Fe Avenue and Bay Street in downtown Los Angeles, located outside of Soho Warehouse, a members-only club. TMZ was among the first to break the news, reporting that West allegedly pushed then punched a fan. The outlet noted that the case was being investigated as a misdemeanor battery, which carries a maximum jail sentence of six months.
TMZ also posted video footage showing an irate West yelling at someone in a parking lot.
"Did y'all say that or not? Did y'all say that or not?" he is heard saying to an unidentified person. "Cuz that's what happened right f*****g now."
Earlier that night, West was reportedly at Delilah nightclub in West Hollywood with his then-girlfriend, Julia Fox. He later left and drove off alone while she remained in the club. Video has since emerged of West and Madonna hanging out hours before the incident.
According to the Independent, West was also seen with several other celebrities, including former boxer Floyd Mayweather, NFL player Antonio Brown, and Fox.
Over the past few weeks, West has maintained a low profile, but earlier this month he made headlines for posting a mock death notice for Pete Davidson after news that Davidson's relationship with West's ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, had ended.
West has been openly critical of Davidson, who he nicknamed "Skete," in the several months that the "Saturday Night Live" star dated Kardashian. When reports emerged that they had gone their separate ways, West was quick to weigh in on their relationship's demise on social media.
Taking to Instagram, West posted a mockup of a New York Times with the words "Skete Davidson Dead at Age 28" emblazoned on the front page, according to Entertainment Weekly. The post has since been deleted.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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