Jurors ordered the rapper to pay a contractor after claims he was not fully compensated for overseeing work at the beachfront property.
Los Angeles jurors have ordered rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, to pay a handyman $140,000 in damages stemming from a dispute over renovation work at the musician’s Malibu beachfront home that was designed by architect Tadao Ando.
The verdict, delivered Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, awards Tony Saxon compensation for lost wages and medical expenses tied to the project. Saxon alleged he was not fully paid for overseeing construction work at the property.
Saxon maintained that Ye, 48, agreed in 2021 to pay him $20,000 per week to manage renovations at the home. According to the lawsuit, Saxon received only one $20,000 payment, along with $100,000 designated for construction expenses.
Jurors ultimately awarded far less than the roughly $1.7 million Saxon had sought. His attorneys described the outcome as a mixed verdict.
In addition to the damages, Ye will be responsible for Saxon’s legal fees, which exceed $1 million. During testimony, Ye appeared to fall asleep, according to the Hollywood Reporter, and answered Saxon’s lawyer by saying, “I’m not sure,” more than once.
West was also reportedly unable to confirm that he was the CEO of the company, Yeezy Construction. Despite this, West made sure to note during testimony that Saxon “smelled bad.”
The legal dispute centers on a 4,000-square-foot, four-bedroom Malibu mansion that Ye purchased in 2021 for $57 million. The oceanfront property was later sold in 2024 for $21 million, according to industry reports.
Saxon alleged in the lawsuit that he repeatedly warned Ye about safety issues during the renovation. Court filings claim parts of the home were demolished without proper safety equipment and that his concerns were not addressed.
The lawsuit also described a confrontation that allegedly occurred when Saxon was fired from the project. According to the complaint filed in September 2023, Ye told Saxon that if he did not follow his instructions, he would no longer work for him, they would no longer be friends, and would only see him “on TV.”
When Saxon responded that he did not watch television, Ye allegedly told him to leave, the lawsuit states.
