Kanye West, now legally known as Ye, is bracing for a courtroom drama centered around his stark, minimalist Malibu mansion, as a lawsuit filed by a former employee inches closer to jury selection on February 23rd. The suit, initially lodged in September 2023, alleges unsafe working conditions, disability discrimination, unpaid wages, unreimbursed expenses, and wrongful termination.
West, who acquired the seaside property in 2021 for a staggering $57 million, subsequently stripped it of its interior fixtures and fittings. In August 2024, Jason Oppenheim confirmed that the home was in escrow.
Tony Saxon, the plaintiff in the suit, alleges that he was hired in September 2021 as a project manager for the renovation, while also serving as a full-time security guard and live-in caretaker. According to the complaint, he was promised $20,000 per week but received only one payment. The lawsuit further claims that Saxon was forced to sleep in makeshift conditions at the property and that his concerns about safety were ignored.
Saxon also alleges that after suffering a severe back injury in early November 2021 and requesting time off, he was still pressured to continue working. He claims he was then terminated on November 5th, 2021, for refusing what he describes as dangerous demands.
Represented by attorneys Ron Zambrano and Neama Rahmani of West Coast Employment Lawyers, Saxon is seeking more than $1 million in unpaid wages and lost earnings, as well as damages for medical expenses and emotional distress. In a recent statement, Rahmani noted that Saxon has waited more than two years for his day in court and that this case will mark the first time West is expected to testify before a jury.
The impending legal battle promises to be a high-stakes drama, with emotions running high and the spotlight firmly on Ye as he faces allegations of mistreating one of his former employees.
