Kanye West has had a headline-making summer, after sparking controversy on his current trip to Italy.
The “Stronger” rapper has spent the late summer in Italy with Bianca Censori, his “wife” who West reportedly “married” in a non-legally binding ceremony.
West, 46, and Censori, 28, were first photographed walking the streets of Florence on Tuesday (1 August). Censori sported a black bikini and did not wear any shoes.
The following week, West made an unexpected appearance at Travis Scott’s Circus Maximus concert in Rome on Monday (7 August).
Scott welcomed West – who recently changed his name to Ye – to the stage to perform his tracks “Praise God” and “Can’t Tell Me Nothing”.
“There is no ‘Utopia’ without Kanye West. There is no Travis Scott without Kanye West,” Scott said during the performance. “There is no Rome without Kanye West. Make some noise for Ye.”
The show marked West’s first return to the stage after the rapper repeatedly made antisemitic comments on social media in 2022.
Following multiple controversies, he was dropped by both Adidas and Balenciaga over what were branded as “hateful and dangerous” comments relating to Jewish people. Despite the backlash, West doubled down on his comments by claiming that he doesn’t believe in the term antisemitism.
West and Censori have spent the late summer in Italy— (Photo by Rachpoot/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
He was subsequently banned from Twitter, although his account was reinstated in July following Elon Musk’s takeover of the social media platform, now called X.
In the weeks following that, West and Australian architectural designer Censori kept a low profile and were photographed by fans lounging by a pool in Florence.
However, in late August, it was reported that West and Censori had been banned from a Venice boat company following recent behaviour on board one of its vessels.
Paparazzi photos and footage shared on social media had showed the couple in what appeared to be a compromising position on board. West could be seen with his trousers down and buttocks exposed, while Censori appeared to be crouching between his legs.
Announcing that the pair had been banned from using the company’s services going forward, a spokesperson for Venezia Turismo Motoscafi explained that the driver had not seen “these obscenities” because they were looking out for traffic on the water.
The statement added that if the driver had witnessed the couple engaging in any lewd behaviour, they would have “immediately disembarked and reported the transgressors to those in authority”.
West and ‘wife’ Bianca Censori— (Getty/LinkedIn)
In the days that followed, West was pictured on a short visit to Dublin for Electric Picnic Festival. However, he made headlines in Italy again after a TikTok video claimed to show the “Ultralight Beam” singer crashing a wedding in the country.
The clip, which was posted on Monday (4 September), showed a bride and groom standing next to each other as the bride shakes hands with a man dressed all in back with his face covered.
The man in black then appears to take a photo with the happy couple, with the groom heard saying, “Of course we know,” as the man pulls down his mask to reveal his face to the duo. His back remains facing the camera in the scenes.
“Imagine getting a pic with Kanye West at your Italian wedding,” the text across the screen reads.
West has not confirmed whether or not he was the man dressed in black, while the original TikTok user is yet to post a follow-up video.
On Wednesday (6 September), Censori sparked confusion after she was pictured in a rather unusual outfit on the streets of Florence.
While leaving her hotel alongside West, Censori sported sheer beige stockings and a matching spaghetti strap bodysuit with a pair of heels. Most notable, however, was the purple cushion held over her chest, seemingly in an effort to cover the top half of her body.
West, meanwhile, opted for an all-black ensemble, wearing a short-sleeved shirt, pants, slippers, and hooded scarf, which covered the majority of his face.
The images circulated on social media, where some fans suggested that West must have been styling Censori, as he did with ex-wife Kim Kardashian when they were together.
“I feel like Kanye is making her dress like this,” one fan theorised, while another asked: “Why is he making her dress like this?”
Back in June, fans posed similar questions about outfits worn by West and Censori to attend his Sunday Service in Los Angeles.
Censori wore a stocking-like ensemble that covered her entire body, including her face. Her arms were stuffed inside the black pantyhose, while a ring of black fabric circling the lower half of her face and neck.
West, meanwhile, wore a black T-shirt with shoulder pads emblazoned with the German word for police, Polizei. He also sported a pair of black leggings that went all the way down to his feet, in what appeared to be sock shoes.
The Independent has contacted West and Censori for comment.
