Kanye West is headed to court over his ultra-minimalist Malibu mansion—and this time, the controversy isn’t about design.
The rapper, who now goes by Ye, is facing a jury trial after a former employee accused him of failing to pay wages and creating unsafe working conditions at the $57 million beachfront property. Jury selection is reportedly set to begin February 23, marking a major escalation in a lawsuit first filed in September 2023.
The plaintiff, Tony Saxon, claims he was hired in September 2021 as a project manager overseeing renovations on the oceanfront estate. According to court filings, Saxon says he was promised $20,000 per week but received only one payment. He alleges he was also required to serve as a full-time security guard and live-in caretaker while enduring what he describes as substandard and unsafe living conditions on the property.
West purchased the Malibu home in 2021 and famously gutted the interior, stripping it down to a stark concrete shell. The radical renovation drew widespread attention in real estate and design circles. By August 2024, the property was reportedly in escrow, according to real estate broker Jason Oppenheim.
Saxon’s lawsuit goes beyond unpaid wages. He alleges disability discrimination, wage theft, unreimbursed expenses, and wrongful termination. Court documents state that after Saxon suffered a serious back injury in early November 2021 and requested time off, he was pressured to continue working. He claims he was ultimately fired on November 5, 2021, after refusing to carry out what he considered dangerous demands.
Represented by attorneys Ron Zambrano and Neama Rahmani, Saxon is seeking more than $1 million in damages, including unpaid earnings, medical costs, and compensation for emotional distress. His legal team says he has been waiting over two years to have the case heard before a jury.
If the trial proceeds as expected, it could mark the first time West testifies in front of a jury regarding his business practices—adding yet another high-profile legal battle to the rapper’s long list of public controversies.
