Allegations about Ye’s alleged nitrous oxide use have been circulating online for months, but now, for the first time, he appears to formally address them. According to newly surfaced documents, Ye has served his former dentist, Dr. Thomas Connelly, with a notice of intent to sue.
The controversy first sparked in August 2024, when Ye’s former chief of staff, Milo Yiannopoulos, posted a series of explosive claims on X (formerly Twitter). He alleged that Connelly had enabled Ye’s recreational use of nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, causing significant harm to Ye’s mental and physical health. “There is a reason Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, is no longer capable of successfully releasing music or clothing,” Milo wrote. “The most serious and the most recent is his dentist, Thomas Connelly.”
Milo backed up his statements with a 22-page sworn affidavit, submitted to both the FBI and the California Dental Board, detailing his claims and evidence.
Now, Ye and his legal team at Golden Law are taking formal steps toward legal action. In accordance with California law, they’ve served Connelly with a notice of intent to sue—an official precursor to a medical malpractice lawsuit.
The notice outlines a range of allegations they are set to sue Connelly for, including “medical malpractice, gross negligence, fraud, exploitation, abandonment, and psychological and emotional trauma.” It also claims he charged Ye $50,000 a month for nitrous oxide and attempted to seize control of the Yeezy brand in 2024.
Below, we break down the original affidavit that brought these allegations to light, including the alleged exhibits of proof and revisit Ye’s history with nitrous oxide and growing concerns around his health.
What was Ye’s documented use of nitrous before these allegations?
The first public documentation of Ye’s alleged liking for nitrous oxide dates back to 2015 when he graced the cover of Paper Magazine. “One time I was at the dentist’s office and I was given nitrous gas and I was vibing out,” he said to the publication.
“I guess that’s my version of Steve Jobs and his LSD trip — when I had this first thought: What is the meaning of life?” He continued detailing the revelation he had at the dentist.
“Then I said in my mind — I’m still under the gas and getting my teeth cleaned — But I just want to be remembered. And I immediately corrected myself. I said, It doesn’t even matter if I’m remembered. I came out of the gas and had a completely new attitude on everything.”
The full quote from Paper magazine about Ye’s experience under the influence of nitrous can be read here.
In 2022, Ye appeared at the BET Awards to pay tribute to Diddy, who was receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award that same night. It was one of his few public appearances of that year, and clips resurfaced on social media in light of the recent allegations because of Ye’s comment during his speech.
“I was at the dentist office the other day, I was taking a nitrous oxide, I suggest it if anybody is like stressed out,” Ye says at the 0:26 mark in the video below.
What are the allegations in the affidavit?
The affidavit is full of statements accusing various individuals of corruption and exploitation, but the most serious claims that prompted the #SaveYe movement are about Ye’s alleged misuse of nitrous oxide. Yiannopoulos accuses Connelly of “the unlawful supply of enormous quantities of nitrous gas […] for explicitly recreational use.”
You may recognize Connelly as the dentist behind Ye’s titanium fixed prosthodontics grill, which went viral in January and allegedly cost $850K. Yiannopoulos claims this is how he first encountered Connelly, and that was the beginning of Connelly’s alleged detrimental relationship with Ye.
In the affidavit, Yiannopoulos states that “By April, employees at all levels of the company were worrying about Ye’s dependence on the gas and speaking openly about it. Ye talked about it non-stop in meetings. He seemed to be in and out of the inhaler mask on a near-constant basis, even posting a video message to the MMA fighter Ryan Garcia on the subject.”
Around that time, a junior staff member at Yeezy allegedly confided in Yiannopoulos that they had seen Connelly hauling four large surgical tanks of nitrous oxide into the apartment of Ye’s wife, Bianca Censori, and had taken photographs.
Yiannopoulos also stated in the affidavit that Connelly was charging Ye more than $50,000 a month for his services related to nitrous oxide and proposed structural changes to Yeezy operations, offering himself as the ideal candidate to lead said changes.
In the scope of work that Connelly allegedly proposed to Yiannopoulos, he included developing a “personal use N₂O₂ system” along with projects like the Yeezy Droam and car and suggested a yearly compensation of $2.4 million dollars.
What evidence supports the allegations of Ye’s nitrous use?
Photographs of the alleged four nitrous oxide tanks hauled by Connelly into Censori’s home have not been circulated publicly or confirmed by RapTV, but text messages have been reviewed and detailed below.
When Yiannopoulos confronted Connelly about the nitrous tanks over text message, Connelly didn’t deny the tank’s existence but stated, “As far [as] nitrous oxide usage. The tanks are empty and have been empty. Very little nitrous has been administered to Ye. As far [as] general anesthesia in the dental office, we are using a well experienced, Board Certified Anesthesiologist and following all safety protocols to the T.”
Various text messages confirm the existence of a plan to develop a personal nitrous system for recreational use and Ye’s recurring use/request of nitrous.
Ye texted a group chat with a video of himself wearing what appears to be a nitrous mask and a message that said, “this test is curtesy of nitrous.”
A text from Connelly dated April 14th shows an AI-generated image of a mock-up for a personal N₂O₂ system and the text, “AI generated hand held nitrous oxide personal use system […] This needs to be the long term goal: get recreational nitrous legalized. Meanwhile we master the delivery system with a 2 year head start.”
Yiannopoulos sent the following messages to various associates voicing his concern for Ye’s nitrous use.
“The dentist has him hooked on nitrous.” Dated May 1, 2024
“I think you should ask for Ye’s medical records. I want to know how often the dentist is giving him nitrous, and how much.” Dated May 1, 2024
“How much nitrous is the dentist giving him? How often?” Dated May 1, 2024.
Text messages from Yeezy employees and associates of Ye’s showing concern for his nitrous usage have been reviewed, but employee names will remain anonymous for legal purposes of protecting their privacy.
An associate messaged Yiannopoulos, “Sup milo, how’s Ye been doing. Is he still on the nitrous?”
A media personality who previously interviewed Ye, messaged Milo on May 5, 2024, “I heard Ye is addicted to nitrous oxide and he fired everyone.”
A Yeezy employee in the tech division messaged Yiannopoulos on May 1, 2024, “‘We need to put nitrous on this!’” recanting a statement Ye made during a meeting. “He has mentioned nitrous 2-3 times on a call, I thought it was a reference to fast and furious.”
What evidence supports the allegations against Connelly?
RapTV has reviewed text messages from Connelly to Yiannopoulos and found the following: Connelly sent bullet points of his proposed road map for working for Yeezy, which aligns with what Yiannopoulos stated in the affidavit, including the development of a personal-use N2O2 system.
Connelly doesn’t specify compensation in the messages but says, “If you want to draft a 1 page job offer with these goals plus the terms we discussed that would be *heart emoji,” to which Yiannopoulos replied, “I can’t write a job offer for nearly $2M a year from 6 bullet points my ninja.”
Connelly sent Yiannopoulos a master statement of services rendered to Ye for $44,195 on April 8, 2024, which he later confirmed was paid. There are general anesthesia charges for Jan 16th ($3,600), Jan 21st ($4,700), March 4th ($4,200), and April 8th ($3,900).
The documents reviewed do not confirm recurring monthly charges of $50,000, but messages between Yiannopoulos and Connelly’s business associate allege that Ye made other payments of this size to Connelly privately on a monthly basis.
What are the negative effects of recreational nitrous oxide usage?
Nitrous oxide is a colorless gas that is commonly used for sedation and pain relief by medical professionals but is also known to be misused by individuals to feel intoxicated and high. Called “laughing gas,” it produces a state of euphoria, similar to the “aha” moment Ye described in his 2015 Paper interview and the stress relief he mentioned in his BET speech.
The Cleveland Clinic says, “It slows down your nervous system and induces a sense of calm and euphoria.” It also reduces anxiety and doesn’t put you to sleep, which allows a patient to feel the euphoric effects consciously. The effects are felt while it’s being administered, and it takes 5 to 10 minutes after the gas is turned off for your headspace to return to normal.
According to Healthline, Alcohol and Drug Foundation, and American Addiction Centers, excessive and extended abuse of nitrous oxide can lead to damage in the nerves, vitamin B12 deficiency (essential for the functioning of the nervous system), anemia, and respiratory issues.
Psychologically, it can impair cognitive function and memory, leading to difficulties with concentration, attention, and problem-solving. It can cause symptoms of depression, anxiety, and psychosis, which can be debilitating. Side effects can also include emotional instability, such as mood swings, irritability, and emotional dysregulation.
Ye, who has a documented history of mental health disorders, previously declared he was bipolar in 2016. The psychological side effects of nitrous oxide abuse can mimic those of bipolar disorder, which Yiannopoulos highlighted in his affidavit.
Ye’s “directives were becoming incomprehensible and contradictory,” stated Yiannopoulos in the affidavit, citing a general period of April 2024, when Yeezy employees noted a change in Ye’s demeanor. “Yeezy staff who could ‘adjust for Ye’—the women proficient in the subtle, sometimes dangerous art of distinguishing between a troubling episode and a regular Tuesday—all agreed that something was wrong.”
Connelly issues an official statement
While Ye or any of his representatives have yet to address Yiannopoulous’s allegations, Connelly was swift to publish a statement about the affidavit.
“Dr. Thomas P. Connelly categorically denies all the false allegations made by Milo Yiannopoulos in his affidavit. Mr. Yiannopoulos, who has admitted in the same affidavit to being motivated by personal grievances, has presented a narrative that is not only factually incorrect but also intentionally misleading. Dr. Connelly has never engaged in any reckless, unethical, or illegal conduct, nor has he ever endangered the health and safety of any of his patients,” said a spokesperson for Connelly.
“Mr. Yiannopoulos, a self-admitted provocateur with a history of attention-seeking behavior, has fabricated a narrative that is both factually incorrect and maliciously intended to damage Dr. Connelly’s professional reputation. His allegations are completely unfounded and devoid of any credible evidence. As a licensed dental professional, Dr. Connelly adheres strictly to all ethical and legal standards, and any allegations to the contrary are baseless. Dr. Connelly remains committed to providing the highest standard of care to all his patients and will continue to do so despite these unfounded attacks on his character and professional conduct.”
At the time of writing, Connelly has not taken any legal action against Yiannopoulos.
