EXCLUSIVE: Police investigate Kanye West and ‘wife’ Bianca Censori over their compromising position on a river boat and will quiz driver to see what he saw – as councillor says couple ‘disrespected Venice’

Police are investigating Kayne West and his ‘wife’ Bianca Censori after they were caught on camera in a compromising position during their Italian vacation.

The couple sparked controversy last week in the romantic city of Venice when West exposed his bare buttocks while sitting on a boat and Bianca was seen kneeling in front of him.

In other footage, the American rapper, 46, was seen in the back of a river taxi, while Australian Bianca, 28, nestled her head in his lap.

Now MailOnline can exclusively reveal that police in the lagoon city popular with British holidaymakers have identified the driver of the taxi they were in.

He is expected to be questioned in the coming days about what exactly he saw on the boat and the police are also asking photographers to hand over the images that went around the world.

A source at the Venice police said: ‘There are standards of public decency that must be adhered to by tourists and locals alike and any violation will be severely punished.

The footage of West with his pants down crossing the lagoon in a taxi with his partner was seen around the world.

“You could clearly see his pants were half down and we’ve received complaints from people who witnessed it. Now we have identified the driver of the boat and we are also going to ask him what he saw.

“The footage clearly shows the couple in a state of intimacy and if the local prosecutor decides to press charges, we will notify the couple, most likely through the relevant embassies.

‘The investigated fact concerns acts that are contrary to good morals and for which an administrative sanction is imposed.’

Venetian officials have also expressed outrage – not surprising given that the city issues fines for swimming in the canals, picnicking in the open air and sprawling on the steps of public buildings.

Venice public safety councilor Elisabetta Pesce told MailOnline: “What we saw without a doubt from the couple was a lack of respect for Venice, the most enchanting city in the world.”

The couple sparked controversy last week in the romantic city of Venice when West exposed his bare buttocks while sitting on a boat with Bianca kneeling in front of him.

In other footage, the American rapper, 46, was seen in the back of a river taxi, while Australian Bianca, 28, nestled her head in his lap.

A source close to the city’s mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, said: ‘Coincidentally, the monthly meeting on public safety is coming up and this kind of behavior will be discussed.

‘Venice is known as one of the most beautiful cities in the world and we expect tourists to maintain a respectable level of decency during their visit.

“These public spectacles are not what we or the millions of tourists who come here every year want to see and we are very sad about them.

“We can only hope that the prosecutor will impose a fine and that the couple will think long and hard about their behavior when they return to Venice in the future.”

A spokesman for Venezia Turismo Motascafi – the company that owned the boat the couple were on – said it was “completely unaware” of the incident.

They added that the pair would have been kicked off the boat had the driver noticed their public exposure.

It continued: “The driver had to watch the traffic and did not see these obscenities.

“Had this happened, he would have disembarked immediately and reported the offenders to the authorities.”

The Italian rental company noted that the “third person on board the taxi” who was riding with Ye and Censori had “obstructed the captain’s view to the rear of the boat.”

The company has since banned the couple from using their boats in the future.

“We dissociate ourselves completely from such acts and behavior. Mr. West and his wife will certainly no longer be welcome aboard our company’s boats.”

This ban is not the first in recent times, as Bianca has recently caused controversy in Italy for her clothing choices.

Before boarding the boat, West was covered head-to-toe in an all-black ensemble, while Censori wore a knee-length trench coat that she paired with a pair of nude heels.

Last month, Italian residents complained to police that the 28-year-old was “almost naked” in public.

She managed to avoid a fine for this, but if convicted of public indecency charges, she could be fined from € 5,000 to € 10,000.

Before boarding the boat, West was covered head-to-toe in an all-black ensemble, while Censori wore a knee-length trench coat that she paired with a pair of nude heels.

But both shed their layers as they came aboard, with Censori ditching her coat in favor of a strapless nude number while West pulled down his pants exposing his bare butt.

Things seemed to get very hot as Censori rested her elbows on his knees, then cradled her head as they sailed down the river.

And the pair didn’t seem to mind who spotted them on the trip — as they were surrounded by other boats filled to the brim with tourists, all of whom had a perfect view of the couple putting on their amorous display.

The fashion designer – who is widely believed to be behind all of Censori’s recent and controversial looks – and his new muse first got romantically involved in January 2023, just months after his divorce from Kim Kardashian was finalized.

The couple married in a private ceremony in Beverly Hills in January, about two months after the rapper’s divorce from Kim Kardashian was finalized.

The couple have already made headlines for their odd clothing choices, with critics taking aim at Censori for “walking around virtually naked” in the conservative Catholic country.

Censori has been seen wearing a series of tight-fitting bodysuits during their journey, sparking anger among the locals

However, the legality of the union is in question as they have not filed a marriage certificate.

Kardashian previously filed for divorce in February 2021 after six years of marriage.

During their long-lasting romance, West often referred to her as his “muse” and heavily influenced her fashion choices.

The former couple shares four children together: North, 10, Saint, seven, Chicago, five, and Psalm, four.