Kanye “Yi” West has been forced to pay $140,000 to the former contractor he hired to rework his iconic Malibu mansion into a self-sustaining “off-the-grid” complex, after a Los Angeles jury returned a mixed verdict in a labor dispute and weeks-long trial.
In the trial, which lasted two weeks in Los Angeles Superior Court, the verdict was announced Wednesday after a jury decided Tuesday night that Ye, who gave up his birth name in favor of a two-letter surname, must pay Tony Saxton for injuries he sustained at the property while the unlicensed contractor was working for the rapper. Saxton had sought $1.7 million in damages.
The hybrid ruling will award him $100,000 for past and future medical expenses and $40,000 for past pain and suffering. But no damages involving future pain and suffering or punitive damages were awarded to the plaintiff. The jury decided Tuesday that Saxon was not wrongfully terminated, and the rapper, rap producer and fashion mogul did not commit any “malice, oppression, or fraud.”
The legal case centered on contractor work done by Saxon, who claims to have described himself as a “guy with a pickup truck” rather than a contractor, and accused the rapper of forcing him to live on the property while he tried to realize bizarre plans he had prepared for the house. I wanted to make it self-sufficient and “off the grid.” As of now, the property has been specifically designed by Tadao Ando, a Japanese architect famous for his work that integrates buildings within its landscape.
The four-bedroom, 4,000 sq ft property was stripped down to a “concrete shell” during a botched renovation. It currently has no windows, doors, electricity or plumbing after Ye requested work on it. The rapper’s esoteric design requirements included replacing the stairs with a slide. Saxon said in legal filings that he was injured during the botched construction, was fired in retaliation after raising security concerns, and that the rapper should be on the hook for his medical bills.
Saxon’s lawyers said the lower amount awarded was disappointing, but they were happy with the outcome if they stood up to the rapper.
“Although the jury’s verdict was less than what we requested, California employment law allows us to recover our attorneys’ fees and costs. When all is said and done, the judgment against Yee should be more than $1 million,” Nima Rahmani, West Coast Trial Lawyers’ lead attorney, said in a statement sent to Reuters. Hollywood Reporter. “We will not be bullied by Yee, his team, or anyone else. We thank the jury for their time and judgment, and look forward to continuing to represent employees who have been treated unfairly and who refuse to be intimidated or silenced.”
Ronald Zambrano, the company’s head of recruiting, called the mixed ruling a vindication for their clients.
“Lawyers have called him a liar, a fraud and a malingerer in court,” he said in a statement. “His medical records, banking records, and personal family history were dissected, mocked, and defamed. Ye’s team demanded that Tony pay them money to resolve the case and issue a public apology. Most people would have backed down. In true David versus Goliath fashion, Mr. Saxon stood firm against one of the world’s biggest celebrities, with the truth on his side.”
But the dispute over the home is far from over between the two men, as they will head to court again over a lawsuit filed by Yee against Saxon regarding a so-called “mechanic’s lien” that a hired contractor placed on the property in January 2024. In the suit, Yee claims that Sassoon and his attorneys at West Coast Trial Lawyers “wrongfully” placed an “invalid” lien on the property, “while simultaneously launching an aggressive publicity campaign aimed at pressuring Yee, and placating would-be prospects.” transactions, extracting payment on disputed claims that have already been litigated in court.
Yee claims that statements made to the company regarding the concession and the company’s statements to the press made it difficult to sell the property in 2023.
“If someone wanted to buy Kanye’s house in Malibu, they would have to deal with us first. This sale can’t happen without Tony getting paid first,” Zambrano said. Business insider at that time. This citation was cited in the suit as an impediment to the sale of the property, because it created public pressure and interfered with Ye’s ability to sell and finance the property by falsely implying that Saxon had the right to block any transaction involving the mansion.
Yeezy representative Milo Yiannopoulos said the people In a statement, the real issue between the two men has not yet come to light.
“The first lawsuit ended with Saxon getting only a small portion of what his lawyers demanded,” Yiannopoulos told the magazine. “The second lawsuit will address the more serious misconduct surrounding the franchise and the damages it caused.”
