In a recent legal drama, controversial US rapper Kanye West was ordered by a jury to pay $140,000 (£104,415) to a handyman who sued him for unpaid work on renovations at his Malibu mansion. The verdict came after Tony Saxon claimed that the rapper, also known as Ye, failed to pay him properly for his work on the beachside property and unfairly terminated his employment.
During the trial in Los Angeles, the rapper's team argued that Saxon was an unlicensed contractor who "destroyed" the "architectural gem" while working there. Saxon had sought $1.7 million (£1.267 million) in damages but was awarded $140,000 by a jury, along with attorney and court fees.
The trial at the Los Angeles Superior Court included testimony from both the "Stronger" rapper and his wife, Bianca Censori, about work at the home, as well as a series of claims from Saxon about his working conditions. The handyman initially filed the lawsuit in 2023, alleging unsafe working conditions, unpaid wages, and wrongful termination. He also sued for medical expenses after claiming he injured his neck and back on the job.
Saxon claimed that West agreed to pay him $20,000 (£14,916) per week but only gave him one $20,000 payment and one other payment of $100,000 (£74,582) for construction costs. He testified that West woke him up at 3:00 a.m. on one occasion to ask why he wasn't working and that he slept on a small mattress on a concrete floor while working at the property.
During his testimony, Saxon claimed that West asked him to install a system that would allow "his urine and faeces [to] be treated into fresh water for drinking and bathing." He also testified that West allegedly noticed he "smelled really bad" because the property didn't have a shower and took him to the luxury Nobu Hotel in Malibu, where he drew Saxon a bath. "He handed me a towel and then says, 'this is a moment you'll never forget,'" Saxon told the court.
Saxon also told the court that West wanted to "gut" the beach house, which was built and designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architect Tadao Ando, to make it off-grid. Those changes included removing electricity and plumbing from the home, as well as removing a staircase and replacing it with a slide.
When West took the stand, he reportedly said he did not remember many of the interactions Saxon testified to but did acknowledge complaining about the handyman's smell. West's lawyer Andrew Cherkasky depicted Saxon as an unreliable witness and said bank records showed Saxon was paid $240,000 during the six weeks he worked for the rapper. The rapper's team also disputed Saxon's reported injuries, sharing a video showing the handyman performing with a band and rolling on the floor.
"The lies are so deep and so wicked that not a thing can be believed that came out of his mouth," Cherkasky said in his closing statements, calling Saxon "a professional victim." Despite appearing to fall asleep at one point during the trial, West's lawyer refuted that he was actually sleeping, telling the jury: "He wasn't sleeping. He was bored. This is beneath him."
West bought the home for $57 million in 2021 but sold it for a loss in 2023 after it was stripped out and abandoned. Saxon had sought $1.7 million for lost wages and medical expenses incurred while working at the property but was awarded $140,000 in damages following the 10-day trial. This is the first of more than a dozen lawsuits filed against West by former employees to go to trial.
The rapper has faced an epic downfall over the last few years due to his racist and anti-Semitic online tirades, leading many brands and companies to cut ties with him. He was blocked last year from entering Australia over his song that glorified Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
