Lawyers on behalf of Kanye West have filed a lawsuit against Lloyd's of London, a marketplace for insurance made up of syndicates of financial backers, over claims it owes West cash.
Papers submitted on Tuesday on behalf of West's company, Very Good Touring, claim the superstar was insured by Lloyd's when he cancelled a string of 21 tour dates in 2016 due to reported mental health issues but that the company has not paid out.
The court papers have accused Lloyd's of London of using an alleged "use of marijuana" as a factor in the stalled payment.
West displayed erratic behaviour during his 2016 Saint Pablo Tour and was hospitalised for a week in November. Sources told BuzzFeed News the rapper had suffered from sleep deprivation, dehydration, and exhaustion.
During one performance he reportedly arrived late, sang a handful of songs, and left the stage.
Lawyer Howard King wrote that Lloyd's had not "provided anything approaching a coherent explanation about why they have not paid, or any indication if they will ever pay or even make a coverage decision, implying that Kanye's use of marijuana may provide them with the basis to deny the claim."
The lawyer said in the papers any such suggestion was "unsupportable".
BuzzFeed News contacted Lloyd's of London, which is a syndicate of financial backers that provide insurance, and a spokesperson said he could not "comment on the specifics of this legal case".
He added: “The reputation of the market has been built on meeting our obligations quickly and effectively where a claim should be settled. In the last year alone we paid out over £14 billion in claims.
"The market will always take steps to find a solution amicable to both clients and insurers where there are disagreements through discussion and mediation.
“However, where an agreement cannot be reached, valid claims can only be paid on syndicates being satisfied that they have the information required to make any payment.”
Kanye West's publicist had not responded at the time of writing.