Kanye West’s former security guard wants one subject kept out of their upcoming Donda Academy employment trial, any attempt to argue that Ye was of “unsound mind” during the period covered by Benjamin Deshon Provo’s discrimination and wrongful-termination claims.
Provo has asked a Los Angeles judge to bar that argument after an Aug. 24 pretrial discussion in which, according to his attorneys, Ye’s counsel would not agree to keep the rapper’s mental-health history out of the case. Provo’s side says mental health was never pleaded as an affirmative defense and no supporting medical records or expert testimony were produced during discovery.
The new filing is a pretrial attempt to determine what his lawyers may argue or introduce when the civil case is heard, and TMZ reports that Provo wants the court to prevent the issue from being raised at all.
Provo’s lawyers are also relying on Ye’s own deposition. Asked whether he felt he was not himself around the period when he ran Donda Academy, Ye answered no and said that time was “close to me being myself.”
Provo Says Mental Health Was Never Pleaded as a Defense
According to MyNewsLA, Provo’s attorneys say the issue surfaced during an Aug. 24 meeting over pretrial motions. They claim Ye’s counsel said he was “certainly not agreeing” to exclude references to Ye’s “documented mental health issues” because those issues could relate to things Ye had said.
Provo’s side argues that Ye’s mental condition is irrelevant to whether Ye, Yeezy LLC or Donda Academy can be held liable on the employment claims. His attorneys also contend that defense counsel did not identify legal authority during that meeting establishing mental illness or insanity as a defense to the civil liability alleged in the case.
The motion raises a procedural objection as well. Provo says Ye did not disclose medical records in discovery and has not designated an expert who would explain whether any condition affected his conduct during the relevant period. His attorneys argue that introducing such a theory this close to trial would therefore come too late.
Ye’s Own Deposition Is Now Part of Provo’s Argument
Provo’s attorneys point directly to Ye’s sworn testimony. During his deposition, Ye was asked whether he felt he was “not yourself” around the time he operated Donda Academy.
“No. I think that was close to me being myself,” Ye responded, according to the court filing described by TMZ. He added that people change and later acknowledged that he liked employees to have a uniform appearance.
Ye nevertheless denied firing Provo because of his dreadlocks. Provo’s position is that the deposition undercuts any attempt to characterize Ye as lacking a sound mind during the same period at issue in the lawsuit. Ye has denied the discrimination and wrongful-conduct allegations against him.
Provo Says He Was Told to Cut His Dreadlocks or Lose His Job
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Provo filed his lawsuit in April 2024 after working as security for Yeezy and Donda Academy. He alleges that Ye and members of management treated Black employees less favorably than white colleagues, including through pay differences and the way workers were spoken to.
One of his central allegations concerns his hair. Provo says he wore dreadlocks partly in observance of his Muslim faith and was ultimately told to cut them or lose his position. PEOPLE reported when the lawsuit was filed that Provo alleged he was terminated after refusing to comply.
He also alleges that security employees were instructed to confront paparazzi aggressively and that a manager told him he would be bailed out if such an encounter resulted in an arrest. Those allegations remain disputed claims in the pending civil case. Yeezy LLC and Donda Academy are also defendants.
Both Sides Are Fighting Over What the Judge Will Hear
The mental-health motion is one of several fights over the evidence that can be used at trial. Ye has separately asked Hammond to exclude a large collection of social-media material Provo wants to introduce, including posts involving Nazis and Adolf Hitler.
Ye’s lawyers argue that much of the material is unrelated to Provo’s workplace allegations, falls outside the relevant employment period or cannot be properly authenticated. MyNewsLA reports that the defense asked the court either to exclude the material or require Provo to establish its admissibility before using it at trial.
The case is currently scheduled for a nonjury trial beginning Oct. 12. Ye previously asked Hammond to move the trial to May 17, 2027, arguing that the defense still needed Provo’s deposition and additional preparation time.