By Blessing Nweke
A Los Angeles jury has ordered controversial rapper Kanye West to pay $140,000 in damages to a handyman who accused him of failing to properly pay for renovation work at his Malibu beachfront mansion.
The verdict came after a 10-day trial in which handyman Tony Saxon claimed West — who also goes by Ye — underpaid him and later fired him while he worked on the luxury property. Saxon had sought $1.7 million in damages for lost wages and medical expenses, but the jury ultimately awarded him $140,000 along with attorney and court fees.
Saxon testified that he worked for about six weeks on the property, which was designed by renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando. During the trial, he alleged West wanted to drastically alter the home to make it “off-grid,” including removing electricity and plumbing and replacing a staircase with a slide.
He also told jurors that the rapper once requested the installation of a system that would convert “urine and faeces into fresh water for drinking and bathing.”
In another unusual moment described in court, Saxon said West took him to the luxury Nobu Hotel Malibu after allegedly complaining that the handyman smelled bad because the house had no working shower. Saxon said West ran him a bath and told him the moment would be unforgettable.
West’s legal team disputed many of Saxon’s claims. His attorney, Andrew Cherkasky, argued that Saxon was an unreliable witness and that bank records showed the handyman was already paid $240,000 during the six weeks he worked on the project.
West also testified during the trial, saying he did not remember many of the incidents described by Saxon, though he acknowledged once commenting about the handyman’s odor.
The Malibu property, purchased by West for $57 million in 2021, was later sold at a loss in 2023 after it was stripped and left unfinished. The case marks the first of more than a dozen lawsuits filed against the rapper by former employees to go to trial.
Original article
Comments