American rapper and music producer Kanye West, also known as Ye, has been ordered by a court to pay $140,000 in damages to a former worker following a legal dispute over renovations at his Malibu mansion.
The ruling was delivered by a Los Angeles jury after a civil trial involving a handyman named Tony Saxon, who had worked on renovation and security duties at the beachfront property. Saxon filed the lawsuit in 2023, claiming he was not properly compensated and that he suffered injuries while working on the project.
According to court records, Saxon alleged that West had agreed to pay him $20,000 per week when he was hired in 2021 to help oversee renovations at the mansion. However, he claimed he received only one payment of $20,000 along with about $100,000 meant for construction costs during his time working on the property.
The handyman also accused the rapper of maintaining unsafe working conditions at the construction site. He said he was injured during the project and later lost his job after raising concerns about the safety issues.
Saxon initially sought $1.7 million in damages, citing unpaid wages, medical expenses, labour violations, and wrongful termination. However, the jury ultimately awarded him $140,000, mainly covering medical expenses and losses related to the injury he claimed to have suffered while working on the property.
Although the awarded amount was significantly lower than what Saxon demanded, legal experts say West may still end up paying substantial legal fees and court costs, which could push the total amount owed to over $1 million.
West’s legal team argued during the trial that Saxon’s claims were exaggerated and insisted he had already been paid around $240,000 during the project. They also disputed the worker’s allegations regarding injuries and working conditions.
The Malibu property at the centre of the dispute was a $57 million oceanfront mansion purchased by West in 2021. The rapper later carried out extensive structural changes to the house before eventually selling it at a significant financial loss in 2024.
Despite the verdict, the legal battle between the two sides may continue, as West has filed a separate lawsuit against Saxon related to a lien placed on the property during the dispute.
