EXCLUSIVE: Kanye’s facing a crisis that will end his racist rampage

by Alison Boshoff for The Spotlight

Hi, I’m Alison — the chief showbiz writer at the Daily Mail. And I’m delighted to bring you my first weekly Big Story… exclusively for the Spotlight VIP Club.

A little further down, you’ll find my scoop about Kanye West’s secret crisis – starting with an insider who reveals how he is ‘completely broke’ and demanding $7million a show, more than Adele or Coldplay, even though he is a global pariah after his pro-Fascist outbursts.

But first, a bit about me. I’ve covered showbiz for the Mail since 1997, breaking stories like the first reports of the Peltz-Beckham feud way back in 2022 and Meghan’s plan for a rosé wine, a full year before it was announced.

This spring, I uncovered the stunning global exclusive that Queen star Freddie Mercury had a secret daughter.

Along the way, I’ve become friends with many of the best-known faces on film and TV… and the sometimes long-suffering people who work behind the scenes.

Why do I love it? Well, British screenwriter Tony Warren once said he would walk a mile in tight shoes to listen to two women gossiping over a back fence, and it’s never been said better.

As well as sharing exclusive, deep dive stories every week, I’ll be answering *your* questions about showbiz. Spotlight VIP Club members can ask me anything, from what’s going on with the Spice Girls to why Netflix are never going to dump the Duchess of Sussex.

Scroll down to ask your question — but first, here’s the big story I’ve been working on this week…

Kanye’s facing a crisis… and it’s the one thing that can end his racist rampage

Watching Kanye West – as he lurches from creepy stage-managed appearances with his nearly-naked wife Bianca Censori, to releasing songs about Hitler – the obvious question is, where will it all end?

This month the man who was once a self-made billionaire, considered one of the world’s most talented and innovative rappers, is playing a small music festival in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia.

With a capacity of 26,000 people, frankly it’s the kind of venue he once wouldn’t have picked up the phone to.

Pariah: West performs in 2024

And with a seat price of around $200 (£147), it’s very hard to see how the gig can possibly pay the outrageous $7 million (£5.1m) appearance fee Ye is said to be demanding.

Music industry insiders tell me that ‘the economics make no sense’ as the venue cannot possibly recoup its costs, unless it is getting a slice of higher-value resale tickets.

But now I can reveal that his crisis is worse than anyone suspects. He has been banned from a string of countries, has lost his most trusted lieutenants and is under huge financial pressure as well.

And I’ll tell you how, according to an insider, he lost more than $3 million overnight in May.