Kanye West and his team scored a partial legal victory after a jury awarded a contractor suing the rapper $140,000 — far less than the $1.7 million he initially sought.
The contractor, Tony Saxon, had filed the lawsuit claiming unpaid wages and damages from a 2021 Malibu mansion project. West’s spokesperson, Milo Yiannopoulos, told the Daily Mail that the jury rejected nearly all of Saxon’s claims. “The only damages awarded were $140,000 related to Saxon’s claim that he was injured while working on the property,” Yiannopoulos said.
The $140,000 award was split into $100,000 for medical expenses and $40,000 for past pain and suffering, with no compensation for lost wages, overtime, or punitive damages. West and his partner, Bianca Censori, both testified during the trial.
Saxon’s attorney, Neama Rahmani, described the verdict as a mixed outcome. “We won some claims, we lost some claims … but the jury found merit in our claims, found that Saxon was an employee, and awarded damages for his medical expenses,” Rahmani said.
The legal dispute stemmed from West’s 2021 renovation of his oceanfront Malibu home, which Saxon described as extremely demanding. According to court documents, Saxon worked up to 16 hours a day and even slept on the ground to keep the project on schedule. The lawsuit alleged that West made extreme demands, including removing marble bathrooms, plumbing, windows, and electrical equipment, and even relocating large generators. Saxon said he was fired after refusing to follow these instructions.
West’s team has indicated plans to seek post-trial relief, arguing that Saxon acted as a contractor and did not qualify for certain protections under California law. They also noted that this ruling concludes the first of two lawsuits involving Saxon and his attorneys over a mechanic’s lien on the Malibu property, which West claims affected the home’s sale.
Neighbors of the property have reported the mansion was left in disrepair after the renovation efforts. Despite the partial award to Saxon, West’s team considers the verdict a legal win, as the jury rejected nearly all of the contractor’s claims.#newsafro_
