Inside the lavish life of Kanye West's dentist: Tattooed Thomas Connelly dubbed himself 'the father of diamond dentistry' and boasts superstar client list - as he's accused of getting rapper hooked on nitrous oxide
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Kanye West's dentist has been hit by shock claims he got the rapper hooked on nitrous oxide in a bombshell affidavit.
Dr. Thomas P. Connelly - who has denied all the affidavit claims - was thrust into the spotlight earlier this year when he fitted West with $850,000 titanium dentures, but Connelly already has a stellar list of A-list clients.
Connelly - 'dubbed the father of diamond dentistry' for implanting real gems onto teeth and custom designing glittering veneer creations - has given million dollar smiles to stars including Chris Brown, Cardi B, Post Malone and Odell Beckham. Jr.
He has taken to social media frequently to boast about his celebrity clientele - and previously revealed he only sees one client a day to ensure he has a work-life balance.
The dentist, 51, strikes an imposing figure with his extensive body and scalp tattoos, rippling muscles and penchant for A-list events.
Kanye West's dentist Thomas Connelly (pictured) has been hit by shock claims he got the rapper hooked on nitrous oxide in a bombshell affidavit
Connelly - who has denied all the affidavit claims - was thrust into the spotlight earlier this year when he fitted West with $850,000 titanium dentures, but Connelly already has a stellar list of A-list clients - The rapper pictured in 2024
Connelly - 'dubbed the father of diamond dentistry' for implanting real gems onto teeth and custom designing glittering veneer creations - has worked with stars including Post Malone (pictured)
He told The Source in 2023: 'I’m that guy that’s a complete mystery when you meet me. It’s funny, people always feel like they’re meeting somebody famous. People always ask ‘what do you do?!’ It’s almost always the same thing: UFC fighter.'
Connelly, who is a father of five, juggles his dental work with bodybuilding - often sharing snaps of his rippling muscles to his 325,000 Instagram followers and revealing he is on a 'bulk'. He competed in the 2023 Masters Olympia contest.
In 2021, Connelly fitted Post Malone with 18 porcelain veneers, eight platinum crowns and two six-carat diamonds entirely replacing his canines - which cost a whopping $1.6million.
Connelly told The New York Times: 'Posty needed me; he had terrible teeth. We’ve learned a lot since doing Post’s mouth.'
Since 2021, Connelly has adopted a look similar to Malone's - getting extensive tattoos, metallic veneers and shaving his head.
He told Naluda Magazine in 2023: 'I am the father of diamond dentistry. I developed these procedures and I’m the only dentist in the world that performs them with predictability on a regular basis.
'The secret to having a successful practice is to have something unique that no one has and sometimes it’s just your personality.'
Connelly also fitted Offset with 40 carats of diamonds, Odell with veneers studded with almost $2 million worth of diamonds and Lil Yachty with $1million worth of diamonds drilled permanently into his mouth.
Connelly, who is a father of five, juggles his dental work with bodybuilding - often sharing snaps of his rippling muscles to his 325,000 Instagram followers and revealing he is on a 'bulk'. He competed in the 2023 Masters Olympia contest
Chris Brown is seen showing off a custom gold grill made for him by Connelly
Connelly has become a social media star thanks to his out-there designs - and frequently poses up in bicep-flashing looks as he endeavors to make waves with his style
In 2021, Connelly fitted Post Malone with 18 porcelain veneers, eight platinum crowns and two six-carat diamonds entirely replacing his canines - which cost a whopping $1.6million
Connelly poses for brooding Instagram shoots and shared a video partying with another of his star clients - Shaquille O'Neal
His prices for full diamond teeth range from $100,000 to $2 million, and porcelain veneers with diamond insets from $10,000 to $75,000.
Connelly has 25 years in the industry and offices in Beverly Hills and New York City.
Connelly poses for brooding Instagram shoots and shared a video partying with another of his star clients - Shaquille O'Neal.
Connelly boasted: 'I did Shaq’s whole mouth of veneers, and did some grills for him. It’s cool. It’s really fun to be able to provide beautiful work, creative work. And really like the people you like. I’ve even considered limiting my practice to just men.'
The dentist shared a video of him sitting front row at Mr Olympia with Shaq.
Connelly has become a social media star thanks to his out-there designs - and frequently poses up in bicep-flashing looks as he endeavors to make waves with his style.
In 2022, he teamed up with Travis Barker for TV show Inked & Iced - which saw the Blink-182 rocker launch a new venture, showing celebrities getting diamond dental implants while simultaneously receiving full-body tattoos, all while under anesthesia.
Barker himself has glittering diamond dental implants.
He told The Source: 'I limit my patients to one a day. I’ll have somebody come in at 10am. Post came at noon yesterday, we went to 8pm. It’s me and him, we screw around. I worked out at 7am or 8am. Ate breakfast, ate lunch.
Connelly - seen here in a 2021 magazine shoot - has adopted a look similar to Malone's in recent months - getting extensive tattoos, metallic veneers and shaving his head
The father of five is seen posing in a stylish ensemble
In 2022, he teamed up with Travis Barker for TV show Inked & Iced - which saw the Blink-182 rocker launch a new venture, showing celebrities getting diamond dental implants while simultaneously receiving full-body tattoos, all while under anesthesia
He fitted Odell with veneers studded with almost $2 million worth of diamonds
'We worked. I went home, had dinner with my kids. Put my kids to bed, so it’s a full day. I have an advantage over a regular dentist: “Oh, we have 50 patients today. 20 hygiene patients a week. A crown, this and that.” Me, I got one guy. And my fees reflect my experience; I’m very blessed.'
Discussing his life away work, he said: 'I can honestly say that at the age of 50 I don’t have a lot of items on a bucket list. I’ve let a pretty full life professionally and personally. I have five amazing children. They keep me busy and constantly keep me on my toes.'
He added his favorite healthy snack was 'plain Greek yogurt mixed with chocolate protein powder and Splenda – it literally tastes like chocolate mousse.'
His cheat meal is pizza and cookies.
Dr. Connelly received his dental training at the Mayo Clinic, the University of Detroit Mercy, and Louisiana State University - after previously ditching a business major,
Connelly has also worked as a clinical professor at Harvard University Dental School in Boston, and Columbia School of Dental Medicine in New York City.
West's former chief of staff Milo Yiannopoulos who quit working for West, 47, in May after two years, claimed that West is addicted to nitrous oxide or 'laughing gas' and alleged Connelly was 'aware' of West's 'psychological vulnerabilities' and believed he 'sought to exploit them' by supplying laughing gas gas.
Further shock claims in the document are that Connelly continued 'to supply the gas after the emergence of distressing symptoms that led to widespread comment and concern' and charged 'more than $50,000 a month' to do so.
(West was seen in a Reddit post three months ago with a mask on with the caption, 'Ye on nitrous.')
It was alleged West's 'growing dependency on the gas' - also known as 'hippy crack' which can induce feelings of euphoria - concerned Yeezy staff members and that the rapper 'seemed to be in and out of the inhaler mask on a near-constant basis' and his communications 'were becoming incomprehensible and contradictory.'
West has notably seen his career implode amid anti-Semitic comments - beginning with a vile post in 2022 that he was going 'death con 3 on Jewish people' - which got him promptly dropped by his agency CAA, production company MRC, Adidas, Gap, and Balenciaga.
The dentist, 51, strikes an imposing figure with his extensive body and scalp tattoos, rippling muscles and penchant for A-list events
Yiannopoulos, 39, who quit working for West, 47, in May after two years, claimed that West is addicted to nitrous oxide or 'laughing gas' and alleged Connelly was 'aware' of West's 'psychological vulnerabilities' and believed he 'sought to exploit them' by supplying the gas- Pictured in 2017 in NYC
The symptoms of West's 'widely-reported bipolar diagnosis and the side effects of prolonged nitrous gas abuse are strikingly similar' claims the affidavit, with symptoms including 'erratic behavior, mood swings, paranoia and violence.'
Yiannopoulos claims a Yeezy employee told him that they had witnessed West 'self-administering the nitrous gas provided by Connelly.'
Yiannopoulos - who detailed his job duties as 'solving mysteries and fixing problems where others have failed.' said the affidavit was in tandem with a complaint he filed with the California Dental Board accusing Connelly of 'reckless, unethical, dishonest, explorative and, upon information and belief, illegal conduct. '
What is Nitrous Oxide and is it illegal?
Nitrous Oxide, has been nicknamed 'laughing gas' due to the euphoric and relaxed feeling people who inhale it can sometimes feel.
The substance - also known as 'hippy crack' - is normally bought in pressured canisters, commonly transferred to a container, e.g. a balloon, from which the gas is inhaled.
Although possession of laughing gas is not illegal, English law prohibits its sale to under-18s if there is a chance they will inhale it.
Nitrous Oxide canisters and cigarette butts litter a roadside in Camden Town on February 11
The effects of nitrous oxide vary depending on how much has been inhaled but they include:
• Feelings of euphoria, relaxation and calmness.
• Dizziness, difficulty in thinking straight and fits of giggles/laughter.
• Sound distortions or even hallucinations.
• In some people, a headache can be an unwanted immediate effect.
Risks include:
• Unconsciousness or death from lack of oxygen. This occurs when the available oxygen for breathing is effectively pushed out by the nitrous oxide.
He says he was 'motivated by urgent concern' for West's health and safety' in both his own capacity of himself and 'on behalf of several individuals close to him.'
Yiannopoulos said he is 'not in a position to authorize the release' of West's medical records and wouldn't 'presume to do so without his consent,' and did not explicitly name West in an immediate series of allegations he raised against Connelly in the affidavit.
Yiannopoulos said the affidavit 'pertains to actions of Connelly' that includes 'the unlawful supply of enormous quantities of nitrous gas to a wealthy, famous patient for explicitly recreational use' as well as 'the physical transportation of four surgical size canisters by Connelly himself into the patient’s home on just one afternoon.'
Yiannopoulos said in the affidavit that he went through the 'additional and unusual step of providing' a 'sworn "jurat" affidavit, which he said comes under a penalty of perjury'; and that all materials have been forwarded to the Attorney General's office and the FBI.
Yiannopoulos said that Connelly charged 'more than $50,000 per month for the service' and continued 'to supply the gas along after the emergence of distressing symptoms that led to widespread comment and concern.'
Connelly provided 'instruction to the patient in the operation of nitrous gas canisters' he left 'at the patient’s home' and 'knowingly encouraged their use in the absence of a qualified anesthesia or medical professional by a person with history of mental illness and addiction,' Yiannopoulos said in the affidavit.
Yiannopoulos said in the affidavit that Connelly abandoned 'said patient' to the 'self-destructive consequences of dependence, showing indifference or worse to the prospect of permanent damage and brain or body.'
Yiannopoulos claims that based on what he knows and believes, Connelly was 'fraudulent' in taking 'millions of dollars ... from a patient he knew to be in a confused, dependent, weakened and addicted state.'
Yiannopoulos said in the affidavit that Connelly moved 'into the patient’s apartment building, at the patient’s own expense, so as to 'better keep an eye on him.'
West was seen in a Reddit post three months ago with a mask on with the caption, 'Ye on nitrous'
Connelly shared an image of West on his Instagram earlier this week
Yiannopoulos said in the affidavit that a number of Yeezy employees had expressed concerns about seeing 'four large surgical tanks of nitrous oxide into Bianca Censori's apartment' and Connelly said that the cannisters were empty and had always been - pictured February 2024
Yiannopoulos said in the affidavit that he had been promoted in January and saw that West's organization was $200 million in the red while taking in no income, and 'placed the business into emergency measures' by terminating more than 130 people in his first month.
Yiannopoulos said that in February and March, he 'devised and deployed strict spending protocols, travel polices, limits on expenses and other financial controls' to keep the books balanced better, and located millions of dollars in wasted monies due to reasons ranging from fraud to greed to double billing to redundancies.
Yiannopoulos said in the affidavit that it was in this capacity he crossed paths with Connelly, who was introduced to him 'as the dentist who assisted Ye in the design and installation' of his 'much admired titanium prosthodontics' which Dailymail.com reported cost $850,000 this past January.
Connelly is a "celebrity dentist" who both has famous clients and is also seeking notoriety for himself in his dental practice, which involves the implementation of diamonds on some occasions, Yiannopoulos said in the affidavit. He noted that Connelly was profiled in a January 2024 piece for the New York Times.
Connelly had presented 'himself as a well-connected, successful entrepreneur' and had 'supplied West with advisors ... who demanded gigantic sums for their services' while proposing 'widespread and disruptive changes' to West's business structure, Yiannopoulos said in the affidavit.
Yiannopoulos said in the affidavit that it became clear to him that West's 'growing dependence of nitrous gas, and not Connelly's business expertise' was what Connelly was relying on 'to seal the deal.'
West's business and personal dealings were discussed by his former chief of staff in the affidavit
West 'seemed to be in an out of the inhaler mask on a near-constant basis' and his communications 'were becoming incomprehensible and contradictory,' Yiannopoulos said in the affidavit
West has notably seen his career implode amid anti-Semitic comments - beginning with a vile post in 2022 that he was going 'death con 3 on Jewish people' - which got him promptly dropped by his agency CAA, production company MRC, Adidas, Gap, and Balenciaga
Yiannopoulos said in the affidavit that this past April, Yeezy employees 'were worrying about' West's dependence on the gas and speaking openly about it,' with West himself talking 'about it non-stop in meetings.'
In addition to West, he has also worked for Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and 'a series of wealthy individuals in Florida,' backing up what he claims is 'a respectable track record exposing fraud, theft and ill intent of every kind.'
Yiannopoulos said in the affidavit that a number of Yeezy employees had expressed concerns about seeing 'four large surgical tanks of nitrous oxide into Bianca Censori's apartment' and Connelly said that the cannisters were empty and had always been.
Yiannopoulos says he felt federal law enforcement should be dispatched to deal with the aforementioned issues, and that Connelly's license should be suspended.
A rep for Connelly told TMZ on Wednesday that claims made by Yiannopoulos were 'not only factually incorrect but also intentionally misleading.'
Yiannopoulos was 'making up these claims for attention,' Connelly's rep told the outlet, and was 'attempting to maliciously damage' Connelly while doing so.
Connelly's rep told TMZ that the dentist follows legal and ethical standards and will continue doing so.
In October 2023, the New York Times published an exposé revealing West 'drew a swastika on a shoe sketch' during a meeting with Adidas execs in 2013, and openly praised 'master marketer' Adolf Hitler for his 'command of propaganda.'
He has two Diamond certified songs — 2007's Stronger and 2011's N***as in Paris featuring Jay-Z — and all 10 of his albums have been at least certified Gold
Last March, the Atlanta-born hip-hop star claimed watching Jonah Hill in his 2012 action comedy 21 Jump Street made him 'like Jewish people again' in a bizarre Instagram post.
'No one should take anger against one or two individuals and transform that into hatred towards millions of innocent people,' Kanye - who boasts 42.8M social media followers - wrote. 'No Christian can be labeled anti-Semite knowing Jesus is Jew. Thank you Jonah Hill I love you.'
West released his first-ever rap EP Get Well Soon... in December 2002 through Jay-Z now-defunct record label Roc-A-Fella Records. His released his critically-acclaimed debut album, College Dropout, less than two years later in February 2004.
Since bursting onto the rap scene over 20 years ago, West has sold an incredible 160million records worldwide and is a 24-time Grammy Award winner. He has two Diamond certified songs — 2007's Stronger and 2011's N***** in Paris featuring Jay-Z — and all 10 of his albums have been at least certified Gold.
His 10th studio album, Vultures 1, went straight to No.1 when it was released in February 2024. It was done in collaboration with Ty Dolla Sign as their hip hop duo ¥$.
West previously teased that a follow-up album, Vultures 2, is in the works. The chatter around West's alleged musical retirement comes amid a slew of legal woes for the rapper - mostly relating to his crumbling Yeezy empire.
Last month a new bombshell lawsuit accused West and his wife Bianca Censori, 29, of sending porn to staff members - including minors - at Yeezy.
A federal lawsuit filed in California claimed that Censori sent an employee a link to 'hardcore' sexual content after her husband announced the launch of his adult film business, Yeezy Porn, in late April.
His 10th studio album, Vultures 1, was released on February 10
It alleged that the videos were accessible to underage staffers, but did not name her as a defendant in the suit - simply using the story to illustrate the work environment at the YZYVSN streaming service app.
Censori has since denied the claims via Yiannopoulos, who told DailyMail.com he had permission to speak on her behalf.
'I've been authorized by Bianca to stress that any allegation that she showed or caused to be shown any pornographic material to minors is offensive, disgusting, abhorrent and categorically and wholly false,' the statement says.
