Kanye West’s very public split from ex-wife Kim Kardashian may have been the main source of buzz around the rapper not too long ago, but he and wife Bianca Censori have been making plenty of news themselves for everything from yacht antics to see-through looks. While Censori’s fashion in particular has had plenty of people talking, it now seems that her husband’s sartorial choices aren’t just breaking taboos, but breaking laws.
The couple remains in Italy despite an international incident not too long ago that resulted in them being banned from an Italian water taxi following a lewd act, and MailOnline reports that West is now in even hotter water. By wearing a face mask in public, he is apparently in violation of Italian law against any face covering that “hampers an individual’s identification, in a public place or in a that is open to the public.”
This law falls under anti-terror legislation and public order legislation, and breaking it is punishable by €1,000 – €2,000. It’s not clear yet at the time of writing if Kanye West will face legal repercussions in Italy for his face mask. The Italian law reportedly only grants exceptions for religious reasons, in which case an individual has to receive a written authority before wearing the mask.
At this point, no representative from the Milan authorities has commented on the situation to MailOnline, but lawyer Angelo Russo told the outlet this:
Wearing any item that covers your face and makes it difficult for a person to be identified by the forces of public security is an offence. The law was introduced initially during the 1970s when Italy was suffering from domestic terrorism and then tightened further following international terror attacks. Obviously there are exceptions wearing a scarf or balaclava over your face during the winter would be tolerated. But wearing a full face covering at any other time, particularly in good weather, would not be seen as a reasonable and the police would have permission to stop and question the individual.
It’s worth noting that Kanye West has been pictured wearing a face mask that covers almost his entire head, with the exception of his eyes, so this is not the case of him wearing the PPE masks that were common during COVID lockdowns. While in Italy, West has worn the face covering in Milan during Fashion Week, as well as previously in Venice and Florence.
The reports about Kanye West’s controversial face mask come shortly after Bianca Censori was called “the Kanye West Whisperer” by insiders, claiming that she understands how to talk to him and those who need to speak with her husband have been known to contact her first. Back in August, the couple was said to be in the honeymoon phase of their marriage, just a few weeks before they were banned from the water taxi for a lewd act.
Kim Kardashian was reportedly concerned about Censori in the relationship, but there were multiple sides to that story. For her part, Bianca Censori has been making waves for her controversial fashion choices in Italy, which have included some very sheer outfits. Whether she and her husband will continue to generate buzz for their clothes as they spend time in Italy remains to be seen.
