The grim, sad truth at the heart of Bianca Censori’s ‘exhibitionism’: LAURA CRAIK

Another day, another leotard. Or so is the dress code of Bianca Censori, the long-suffering wife of rapper Kanye West, 48. Over the weekend, his wife of four years was spotted in a metallic dress at the Chateau Marmont hotel in Los Angeles; It’s short in the front, high in the leg, and narrow in the chest, better revealing a generous portion of side breasts.

In fact, it was a rather simple look for the 31-year-old, who describes himself as an ‘architectural designer’ in his Instagram bio. In February, she strolled the streets of Los Angeles wearing a microscopic skirt and a bra that was several sizes too small, causing her glasses to overflow.

Last May, she enjoyed ice cream in Mallorca, Spain, wearing a mesh top that exposed her nipples, just like you do. Other favorite looks include sheer leggings She was wearing no panties, sheer nylon body stockings, duct tape over her nipples, and a leotard that gave a fresh and vivid example of the expression ‘camel toe’.

Come rain or shine, Censori can always be relied upon to deliver ‘the look’. However, who these views actually serve is a matter of debate.

A shameless self-publisher, West knows exactly how extreme he has to go to get attention in a world where so many people are vying for it. Nudity is one of the few things that are still shocking.

While the 48-year-old rapper comfortably disguises himself in baggy black sweatpants and hoodies, his wife’s outfits often teeter on the edge of being illegal. While it is not illegal to wear underwear in public in the United States (the laws focus on exposing private parts and the intent to arouse or offend, rather than specific clothing), it can still lead to arrest under public indecency laws.

As for the claim that Censori’s near-nakedness is an artistic or feminist statement, that might be more believable if she didn’t look so distraught and even afraid all the time.

Censori’s husband, Kanye West, knows exactly how to attract attention, and nudity is one of the few things that are still shocking. (Photographed together at the Grammy Awards last year)

Laura Craik writes that in February, she walked the streets of Los Angeles wearing a microscopic skirt and a bra that was several sizes too small, causing her glasses to overflow.

It’s hard to believe it was her idea to wear a sheer body stocking to the 2025 Grammy Awards. It’s even harder to imagine her choosing to board a boat in Venice in 2023 wearing an outfit that reveals her bare buttocks. After she was photographed with her head near West’s lap, many speculated that she was involved in an explicit sex act.

But some consider Censori to be a savvy publicity seeker and architect of his own image rather than a victim. While this is the argument used by West’s devoted fans, Censori himself seems to think otherwise. She rarely speaks publicly, but in an interview with Vanity Fair in February she revealed her aunt was present on the boat in Venice, adding: ‘It was the first time I felt truly embarrassed. ‘I felt ashamed because of my father.’

While the relationship continues, rumors persist that this is not a marriage between equals. Of course, from the outside it bears many of the characteristics of coercive control, a form of abuse in which one person exercises power over another. Methods include isolating the victim from family or friends, monitoring their location and behavior, and controlling what they eat, wear, spend, or do.

At first the perpetrator is often attractive – this is called the ‘love bombing’ phase – but once bonds are established the mask falls off.

Censori, a privately schooled, college graduate who grew up in an affluent neighborhood in Melbourne, Australia, might seem too smart to be controlled by anyone, not even a man as famous and persuasive as West. But anyone can be a victim of coercive control, a form of abuse that does not regard age, race, wealth or status. In 2021, politician Kate Griffiths successfully sued her husband, Tory MP Andrew Griffiths, for suffering years of coercive and controlling behaviour.

And then there’s Kim Kardashian, to whom West was married from 2014 to 2021. The billionaire Skims founder has spoken out multiple times about West’s preference for controlling his own image. In an interview with US chat show host David Letterman in 2020, when the couple was still married, she described how she revamped her wardrobe and got rid of most of her clothes early in their relationship.

In a 2022 episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, she told sister Kourtney that West told her she couldn’t wear ‘big glasses’ anymore, adding: ‘He told me my career was over and then he showed me a photo of Marge Simpson wearing something similar.’

She also admitted that she had become so used to West telling her what to wear that she began having panic attacks following the divorce, admitting through tears: ‘I’ve gotten to the point where I’m asking him for advice on everything.’

As Laura Craik observes, West and Censori’s relationship bears the hallmarks of coercive control, a form of abuse in which one person exercises power over another. (Photo taken in Milan, 2024)

Some U.S. states, including California, where West and Censori live, recognize coercive control as a form of illegal domestic abuse. (Photographed together at Paris Fashion Week in 2024)

Coercive control, often referred to as ‘invisible abuse’, was made illegal in England and Wales in 2015, criminalizing abusive behavior designed to punish, intimidate or control a partner or family member. It carries a maximum prison sentence of five years, but this remains very difficult to prove. There were 49,557 coercive control offenses recorded by the police in the year ending March 2025, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. While 4,955 charges were laid in 2024, only 832 men and 21 women were convicted.

Campaigners say coercive control is under-recognised, under-understood and routinely ignored not only by juries but also by judges, many of whom are not trained to recognize the signs, resulting in it being sidelined in court.

One of the women campaigning to raise awareness is Sharon Holland’s 23-year-old daughter, Chloe, who committed suicide in 2023 after being subjected to harassment by her partner. This week Holland pointed out that juries still fail to understand the ‘psychological torture’ of coercive control.

Coercive control is not a federal crime in the US, but some states consider it a form of unlawful domestic abuse – including California, where West and Censori own a vast £26 million mansion.

Who knows if Censori is with West out of love or something worse? But if he is looking for reasons to leave, the list is long and growing every day.

In addition to his frequent anti-Semitic remarks, West praised Hitler, stated that slavery was a choice, and had the audacity to attribute some of his comments to his bipolar disorder, although he has apologized.

His last trick? Russia tour. Earlier this month concerns over his antisemitism led to the cancellation of his three-day headline appearance at the London Wireless Festival after the Home Office revoked his permission to travel to the UK. But West believes the show must go on, even in a country currently under economic sanctions from the US, UK and EU.

The US State Department’s current advice to Russia is ‘do not travel for any reason’. ‘US citizens are at risk from terrorism, unrest, wrongful detention, and other threats.’

It remains to be seen how the Russians will view Censori’s racy wardrobe. But those worried about him can hope that West’s latest plan will give him the momentum to do what he should have done a long time ago and finally send him to Siberia.