The rapper formerly known as Kanye West had a tough day in court on Friday, as he was reportedly struggling to stay awake while on the witness stand in the trial over his former Malibu mansion.
During his appearance during the second week of the trial in a Los Angeles courtroom, the rapper, producer and designer “yawned repeatedly, closed his eyes for long periods, and at times appeared to drop his head forward.” Rolling StoneNancy Dillon reported this on Friday.
“I don’t remember,” the rapper answered when the lawyers asked him about the work done on the palace, designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando, famous for his work combining architecture and landscape, which the rapper “destroyed” while trying to turn the architectural marvel into a disaster. Ye bought the property for $57 million in 2021 and sold it at a huge loss, offloading the property for $21 million in 2024.
Amid Yee’s seemingly asleep performance on the podium, the attorney representing the plaintiff reportedly turned away from the podium and said, “Is he asleep?” – A moment noticed by the judge supervising the trial. The judge noticed what was happening and then asked the attorney to “make things a little faster,” referring to questioning the defendant.
The trial, one of several Yee will face in the coming months, focuses on the work of contractor Tony Saxon, who is suing for unpaid wages, unsafe working conditions and wrongful termination. Saxon accuses the rapper of forcing him to live on the property while he tried to fulfill the rapper’s bizarre plans for the house, which he wanted to make self-sufficient and “off the grid.” As of now, the property has no windows, doors, electricity or plumbing.
The four-bedroom, 4,000-square-foot mansion was stripped down to a “concrete shell” during a botched renovation. Ye’s interior design requirements included replacing the staircase with a slide. Saxon said in legal filings that he was injured during the botched construction operation, was fired in retaliation after raising security concerns and that the rapper is on the hook for his medical bills.
