Kanye West’s Ex-Bodyguard Shared The Strange Rules The Star Insists On

It should come as no surprise to learn that Kanye has rubbed some folks the wrong way. Speaking with Jimmy Kimmel, Kanye said of his braggadocious behavior, “I refuse to follow those rules that society has set up, in the way that they control people with low self-esteem.” And in an interview with BBC Radio 1, the star declared, “I was taught I could do everything.” But former bodyguard Steve Stanulis disagrees.

Stanulis is a fascinating guy in his own right, too. In fact, his varied background may explain why he doesn't suffer fools gladly. He started performing in dance revues as a teen. And when he joined the NYPD at 19, he didn’t give all that up. Nope, he was catching criminals during the day and turning out a show at night.

Stanulis — working under the stage name Steve Savage — set up a dance ensemble called Savage Men. Then, after quitting the NYPD, he became a bodyguard to the stars. And he has a wild streak. Stanulis has written an autobiography called Sex and the Shield, and it seems like it's every bit as racy as that title suggests.

This past may not have boded well for Stanulis’ stint working as a security consultant for Kanye and his then-wife, Kim Kardashian. But maybe his time in showbiz did. As well as his successful dance act, Stanulis took on bit-part acting roles. He cropped up in The Sopranos as well as the movies Cupidity and Darkroom. Perhaps Kanye was impressed by his IMDb credits!

Stanulis has also worked behind the camera. In 2009 he co-produced the black comedy The Invisible Life of Thomas Lynch — a movie that saw him take on the title role. And his performance was so well-received that he was nominated for a Best Actor award at the CMJ Film Festival. But that isn’t Stanulis’ weirdest project by a long shot.

That honor goes to Stanulis’ Stripped: The Play. Yep, you read that right! And if you’re wondering what it’s all about, you should know that at the beginning of the show, the compère announces that the play is one where “men are men and women are happy.” It was voted best off-Broadway production by The New York Times, mind you, so it was hardly mindless fluff.

But Stanulis eventually found his way to Kanye — for better and for worse. Because after looking after the star, his famous wife, and their four kids, the former cop has been pretty scathing in public about their behavior. Kanye, it seems, has a very specific way that he likes things to be done.

In fact, Stanulis told the Hollywood Raw podcast that Kanye was one of his “least favorite people to work with.” And when you hear about what he claimed were his dealings with the rapper, you can understand why. First up, there was an awkward exchange in an elevator during the 2016 New York Fashion Week — on Stanulis' first day on the job.

As the former cop explained, “The first day I met [Kanye]… it was Fashion Week. I was supposed to meet him at the studio. When he gets there, we get into the elevator and he says, ‘Aren’t you going to push what floor we are going to?’ I was like, ‘I have no idea what floor, it’s my first day.’” And Kanye was apparently unhappy with this response.

“He’s ranting and raving,” Stanulis went on. “So I said, ‘Look, bro, we can do this one of three ways. One, you could tell me what button to press, and now I’ll know. Two, you could press the button, and I’ll see which one you press so I’ll know.’” And the third option? Kanye probably didn't like hearing that one.

Stanulis claimed he said to Kanye, “'You can sit in here all day and tell me how important your time is, and we are not going to go anywhere.’ Again, that was our first interaction. He went for the first option.” And, according to Stanulis, the relationship didn’t get easier from there — although you'd think it couldn't get much worse.

Yet Stanulis has described Kanye as “the most self-absorbed person” he’s ever met. Yikes! The former cop has accused the star of not even offering his security water while the rapper ate out at expensive establishments. “I don’t think he ever said two words to me,” he told the Daily Mail. And Stanulis wasn't afraid to expand on the subject.

Stanulis continued, “I would go to a restaurant with [Kanye] and watch him to make sure nobody was bothering him. Not once was I offered a glass of water or a soda. That was never his mindset.” And according to the former cop, Kanye’s quirks sometimes got in the way of his security’s ability to protect him.

As the bodyguard told the Hollywood Raw podcast, “[Kanye] wanted you to stay ten paces behind him on a city street. So, obviously, if someone is going to come up and do something, by the time I try to run up and prevent it, it would have already happened.” This probably made Stanulis’ life very difficult!

On another occasion, Stanulis reported, his former boss left the studio in a rage after an argument. Luckily, Stanulis finally tracked Kanye down close to a highway. But when the bodyguard tried to get the rapper to drive back with him in his car, he refused. And the reason Kanye gave, according to Stanulis, was truly mind-boggling.

Instead, Kanye said he wouldn’t enter the vehicle until Stanulis — who has three kids — got rid of the child seats from the back. In the interview with the Daily Mail, the bodyguard also accused the star of driving off with his posse without warning. It would then be up to his security to find a cab to pursue him.

Speaking to the newspaper, Stanulis said, “I had heard through the grapevine that Kanye was tough to deal with, and he went through a lot of security. I was told before I took the work that I had to be thick-skinned and prepared for anything because the littlest thing could trigger him.” And it seems as if Stanulis found that out the hard way.

Stanulis listed Kanye’s other quirks during the interview. He claimed that the megastar objected to having the door opened for him — which is probably only a pain if you're part of the security team. And the star also didn’t like security staff appearing on camera with him. But neither of these led to the bodyguard’s eventual undoing. So, why exactly did Stanulis get fired, then?

Well, the reason that Stanulis gives is that he spoke to Kim. Yes, really! The incident apparently happened in 2016 when Stanulis had been charged with protecting the couple for the Met Gala. Remember that night? You will when we remind you that Kanye and Kim were both in matching metallic outfits. Stanulis spilled the beans to the Daily Mail.

He said of Kim and Kanye, “They were getting ready for Met Gala. I was sitting downstairs in the Waldorf, and it was around 6:00 p.m. I got some information that they were looking to rent a Lamborghini or something of that nature.” That was a tall order, but Stanulis tried to fulfill the request anyway. It was all part of his job.

After he was unable to get a car at such short notice, Stanulis then decided to go and check on Kim and Kanye. “I just wanted to make sure we were ready when they were ready,” the bodyguard explained. “I went up to the Presidential Suite. I was walking, and the door was open, and I happened to see Kim.”

Stanulis went on, “I thought I’d ask her or the other security or assistant if there was a change of plan. As I was walking up to Kim and the room, Kanye walked by. He came from around the corner and saw me walking towards the room. I turned around and said, ‘Hey Mr. West… how you doing?’” Based on what happened next, not very well!

Kanye reportedly didn’t respond. Stanulis added, “He went to the door and slammed it. I thought that was okay. So I went back downstairs. I told the driver I had no idea what was going on.” Just a few minutes later, though, one of Kanye’s team told the bodyguard that his services were no longer required.

Stanulis had been due to ensure that the West family safely boarded a flight back to LA the next day. Before he could do that, however, he was relieved of his duties. Was Kanye just trying to protect his wife from his bodyguard’s advances? Maybe, but Stanulis has insisted that he had no intention of ever flirting with Kim.

As Stanulis himself put it, “Even if I wanted to, I never got the opportunity because it happened so fast. The way he was situated, maybe [Kanye] thought I was there longer or walking up for a different reason. Maybe it was a misunderstanding, but I didn’t have the opportunity.”

Stanulis continued, “I had no intention of hitting on Kim Kardashian. I am happily married. I got enough problems in the world and three young kids, so that was not my intent. She’s a very beautiful girl, very attractive. But obviously, it was just to see if they were going to get to the Met Gala at a particular time.”

You could even see Stanulis’ dismissal as ironic — especially if he was fired for a perceived invasion of privacy. Kim and Kanye weren’t the most private couple, after all! And during the Hollywood Raw podcast, Stanulis alleged that the pair actually drew more attention to themselves by calling up the paparazzi.

Stanulis alleged of Kim and Kanye, “First of all, there’s no way [paparazzi] doesn’t get called upfront. There’s no way every time they are leaving, all these people know about it. There’s definitely somebody calling ahead. That’s just my opinion… I’m just saying it’s coincidental that wherever we are, they’re always there.” That doesn’t explain why the bodyguard was let go, though, so what does he think was the reason?

Stanulis told the Daily Mail, “There is a right way and a wrong way to talk to people. Just because you have status, [that] doesn’t give you the right to talk to people in a certain way… I didn’t hit on Kim. Kanye has so much in his life. He should be thankful and grateful for people who work so hard to keep him safe and happy.”

We can’t be sure of the true reason behind Stanulis’ dismissal, of course; being a globally recognized celebrity probably throws up pressures and strains we mere mortals aren’t aware of. But it would be hard to deny that the maverick superstar certainly has his personal quirks — ones that apparently make working for him a truly bizarre experience.

Be careful when you next bad-mouth a telemarketer down the phone; he could turn out to be a future hip-hop star who’s not afraid of speaking his mind. That’s right – before he hit it big, Kanye sold insurance via telephone, and recollected this time to Playboy in typical Kanye style: “I was way better than most of the people there.”

All Kanye fans recognise the downcast-looking bear that graces the front cover of his debut album The College Dropout. But according to the hip-hop star’s A&R Patrick “Plain Pat” Reynolds, that bear wasn’t part of any plan – it just happened to be at the school that Kanye was doing the photoshoot. One snap later, then, and history was made.

Or he did in 2009, anyway. “I am a proud non-reader of books. I like to get information from doing stuff like actually talking to people and living real life,” Kanye was quoted by Reuters as explaining. Under what circumstances did he make that bold pronouncement? As part of a promotion for his own book Thank You and You’re Welcome. Of course.

Before he became famous, Kanye was arrested for allegedly stealing printers from an OfficeMax store. The incident took place in 2000, and the rapper has since suggested that the cops were guilty of racial profiling in their apprehension. That claim may have had some legs – after all, why would a man who doesn’t care for the written word steal something that prints ’em out?

It turns out that if Kanye likes you, he’s happy to take you to his limo van, rap his entire new album to you and ask what you think. Well, that’s what Seth Rogen said happened in 2014, making him the envy of every fan around the world anxiously awaiting the follow-up to Yeezus. Not only that, but Kanye also decided to ambush unsuspecting delivery guys to ask them their opinion on his My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy tracks.

Luckily the world has been spared Kanye boasting about being the best adult film actor in the world. British tabloid The Sun reported him once as saying, though, “That career choice popped into my head once or twice. Which guy doesn’t want that? Just sometimes in their life.” We can assume, however, that Kim wouldn’t allow it now…

Kanye was very close to his mother Donda. Unfortunately, she died in 2007 following complications from plastic surgery, utterly devastating her son. Kanye spoke publicly about his grief, and ended up giving his mom a touching tribute by naming his design company after her in 2012.

Kanye’s full name is Kanye Omari West, and that middle name is now strangely appropriate. After all, “Omari” is a Hebrew word that means “speaker,” and there’s no doubt that Kanye’s fulfilled that role. Oh, and that nickname that Kim and Kanye have for daughter North? It may have something to do with dad’s middle name too – “Nori,” as some people have pointed out, seems to be a combination of Omari and Kim’s middle name, Noel.

Kanye, it’s fair to say, loved Michael Jackson – still does, in fact. After all, not only do some of his lyrics reference the King of Pop, but he’s even gone so far as to say, “I would not be Kanye West if it wasn’t for Michael Jackson.” Plus, when Michael and Kanye eventually met, the normally bombastic rapper was the very epitome of cowed politeness – if that isn’t proof of superfandom, we don’t know what is.

The title of Kanye’s first hit “Through the Wire” came out of a nearly lethal car crash. After the accident, then, Kanye’s jaw had to be wired up to his face – and it was in that condition that he recorded the track, just two weeks after he first went into the hospital.

After The College Dropout was a multi-platinum worldwide hit, Kanye bought himself something pretty spectacular – a 1700s-era aquarium with 30 koi carp and a gold fountain in the form of a cherub. And his taste for luxury has apparently never gone away; apparently, he and Kim now own a quartet of gold-plated toilets and a fridge smothered in Swarovski crystals.

When he was ten years old, Kanye moved with mom Donda to Nanjing for her work. According to people who knew little ’Ye, he was a sweet kid back then, settling in well and even learning the language – although he’s apparently now lost that knowledge of Mandarin Chinese on the whole.

You wouldn’t think Kanye was the type to make fun of himself, but his turn on The Cleveland Show suggests otherwise. In the animated sitcom, he voiced a thinly disguised version of himself called Kenny, a 19-year-old high schooler/wannabe hip-hop star who lives in a car and has a lazy eye.

Kanye has an incredible 21 Grammys – just 11 more, and he’ll have beaten the all-time record, currently held by Hungarian-British conductor Sir Georg Solti. In 2005 he also came close to the record of most Grammy nominations in one night with nine – an honor currently held by his idol Michael Jackson, who received 12 back in 1984.

Before there was Kim Kardashian, before there was even Amber Rose, there was Alexis Phifer – she was Kanye’s fiancée for 18 months before it all came to an end in 2008. Phifer bore Kanye no malice, though, telling People back then, “I wish him the best in his future and all of his endeavors.” Aw.

Kanye’s father Ray West was a member of the revolutionary nationalist Black Panther Party in his youth, and also became a pioneering photojournalist in Atlanta. The hip-hop star has often spoken admiringly of his dad’s achievements and philanthropy, saying in a 2013 interview with DJ Zane Lowe, “Seven years ago, he lived in a homeless shelter, not because he was homeless [but] because he wanted to help the ex-drug addicts, he wanted to get that close.”

It may sound a bit unlikely that ’Ye is a huge lover of Fiona Apple’s music. But that’s the truth – and he’s even told the singer-songwriter so. It may be only a matter of time, then, until a collab between the two hits the airwaves…

According to Kanye himself, his name means “only one” – an excellent choice for a guy with such a big ego. What’s more, his collab with Paul McCartney is called “Only One” not only because that’s the translation of the moniker his mother gave him, but since Kanye believes that he channeled the lyrics to the track through his own late mom.

Kanye has an admirable work ethic – albeit one that sometimes manifests itself in almost obsessive perfectionism. While recording “Stronger,” for example, he worked with an incredible eight separate engineers and, reportedly, mixed the track no fewer than 50 times before he deemed himself content with the finished product. Not even live shows, it seems, can even happen without Kanye tweaking the details on stage.

Both Kanye’s parents were successful professionals, and Kanye himself was raised in comfortable suburban surroundings. Perhaps that firmly middle-class start in life led to the perception among some that he’d be a lousy rapper, and so he had to battle against this conception to even get his tracks down on tape at first. Guess Yeezy’s had the last laugh since, though.

At a 2022 Paris fashion show debuting the 9th collection of his clothing brand, Yeezy, the eponymous rapper showed up with a 'bold' fashion choice of his own, to put it lightly. Alongside political commentator Candace Owens, West donned a shirt that seemed to directly undermine, if not even combat, the Black Lives Matter movement. In addition to an outpouring of upset online, attendees, including Jaden Smith, left the event early to protest the messaging.