A woman filed a lawsuit Monday against Coodie Simmons and Chike Ozah, the filmmakers behind the Netflix documentary “jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy,” which chronicles the career of rapper Kanye West.
Cynthia Love, who is also suing Netflix, claims she was exploited by the filmmakers and that she was in an “altered state and not capable of providing consent” when she was recorded in the early 2000s in footage that Simmons and Ozah used in the documentary, according to TMZ.
The scene, which featured Love dancing at a restaurant, was originally intended for use in West’s 2003 music video for “Through the Wire,” which Simmons and Ozah directed. The video was a breakthrough in West’s career, and an extended version of the video was included in the documentary.
Love claims she only received $20 in compensation for her cameo, while Simmons and Ozah reportedly earned $30 million for the documentary, according to TMZ. Love is suing for a minimum of $30,000 in damages.
The legal papers allege the documentary shows part of Love’s troubled past that she has since left behind.
Love said she faced issues of addiction at the time, but claims she’s been sober for 18 years and has worked hard to maintain a job and repair her relationships with friends and family. She said the documentary revealed her dark past to people in her life who were unaware of her prior issues, according to TMZ. (RELATED: Netflix Apologizes For Delay In Releasing ‘Love Is Blind’ Episode)
9. Jeen-Yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy
(Act 1: Vision) pic.twitter.com/BuDS5l8h87
— Ben Meer (@SystemSunday) May 22, 2022
Love also alleged that Simmons texted her son to say he didn’t contact her before the film debuted because he assumed she was dead, per TMZ.