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Jury rules against Kanye West in unpaid wages case
A Los Angeles jury has ordered the rapper, legally known as Ye, to pay $140,000 (£104,415) to a former handyman who accused him of unpaid wages and wrongful termination. The verdict concludes a highly publicized trial involving claims of unsafe working conditions and bizarre demands at West's Malibu mansion.
Background of the dispute
Tony Saxon, a handyman hired for renovations at West's $57 million (£40.27 million) beachfront property, filed the lawsuit in 2023. He alleged West failed to pay him for six weeks of work, subjected him to unsafe conditions, and fired him without cause. Saxon initially sought $1.7 million (£1.267 million) in damages, including compensation for medical expenses after injuring his neck and back on the job.
Testimonies and allegations
Saxon testified that West agreed to pay him $20,000 (£14,916) per week but provided only one such payment and an additional $100,000 (£74,582) for construction costs. He described being pressured to work around the clock, including being woken at 3 a.m. to resume tasks. Court evidence included a photograph of a mattress on a concrete floor, which Saxon claimed was his sleeping arrangement at the property.
Among the more unusual claims, Saxon stated West requested a system to convert waste into drinking water and ordered the removal of electricity, plumbing, and a staircase-replacing the latter with a slide. The property, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando, was reportedly gutted as part of West's plan to make it off-grid.
"He handed me a towel and then says, 'this is a moment you'll never forget,'" Saxon recounted of an incident where West arranged for him to bathe at the Nobu Hotel in Malibu after complaining about his odor.
West's defense and counterarguments
West's legal team argued Saxon was an unlicensed contractor who caused significant damage to the property. Attorney Andrew Cherkasky presented bank records showing Saxon was paid $240,000 during his employment and dismissed his injuries as exaggerated, citing a video of Saxon performing with a band. Cherkasky described Saxon as a "professional victim" in his closing statements, alleging his testimony was unreliable.
West, who testified in his own defense, claimed not to recall many of Saxon's allegations but acknowledged complaining about the handyman's hygiene. Media reports noted West appeared to doze off during the proceedings, though his lawyer later insisted he was merely bored, calling the trial "beneath him."
Verdict and broader context
The jury awarded Saxon $140,000, a fraction of his initial claim, along with attorney and court fees. The case is the first of over a dozen lawsuits filed against West by former employees to reach trial. The rapper, who purchased the Malibu home in 2021, sold it at a loss in 2023 after extensive renovations left it uninhabitable.
West's public image has suffered in recent years due to controversial statements, including anti-Semitic remarks and praise for Adolf Hitler, leading to severed partnerships with brands and a ban from entering Australia.
