Ye ordered to pay former Malibu mansion worker $181,433 in legal costs
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A Los Angeles judge has ordered Kanye West, who performs as Ye, to pay Tony Saxon a further $181,433 in legal fees and costs. The order follows a jury’s decision to award Saxon $140,000 in damages over injuries he said he suffered while working at West’s former Malibu mansion.
The award comprises $147,000 in lawyers’ fees and $34,433.93 in costs, increased after Saxon’s lawyer argued the judge’s initial proposed amount was too low. West bought the property for $57 million in 2021, then sold it for $21 million three years later after extensive work to strip its fixtures and systems. The jury awarded Saxon $100,000 for medical expenses and $40,000 for past pain and suffering, but rejected claims of wrongful termination and grounds for punitive damages; West is appealing the damages judgment.
- Ye must pay Saxon a further $181,433 in legal fees and costs.
- A jury previously awarded Saxon $140,000 over injuries he said he suffered at the mansion.
- West is appealing the damages judgment.
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Kanye West, also known as Ye, is a musician and fashion entrepreneur. In 2021 he bought a beachfront mansion in Malibu, California, for $57 million. The property was later stripped of much of its plumbing, electrical system and fixtures before being sold in 2024 for $21 million.
Tony Saxon, who worked at the mansion, said he was seriously injured while carrying out work there. A jury awarded him $140,000 for medical expenses and past pain and suffering, while rejecting his other claims, including wrongful termination and punitive damages. West is appealing that judgment.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Saxon’s supporters can argue that a worker who says he was seriously injured should be able to recover proven losses and reasonable legal costs after winning a jury award. The fee decision followed a court review and an objection from Saxon’s lawyer, and awarding costs can help ensure that pursuing a valid claim does not leave an injured worker financially worse off.
The case against
West’s supporters can argue that the fee award is substantial relative to the $140,000 in damages and that legal costs should be carefully scrutinised, particularly while he appeals the underlying judgment. They may also point out that the jury rejected several of Saxon’s claims, including wrongful termination and punitive damages, as reasons to avoid treating the verdict as support for every allegation.
Full account
Kanye West, who performs as Ye, has been ordered to pay construction manager Tony Saxon a further $181,433 in legal fees and costs arising from work at West’s former Malibu home. The award comprises $147,000 in attorneys’ fees and $34,433.93 in costs. Added to the $140,000 in damages a jury awarded Saxon in March, it brings the total reported award to about $321,433.
The ruling came after Saxon’s lawyers sought a substantially larger amount. Judge Brock Hammond had first proposed a lower figure, then increased it after Saxon’s lawyer Ron Zambrano argued that the assessment did not fully account for the work involved in securing the verdict. Zambrano said he respected the judge’s willingness to reconsider, while maintaining that the legal work was worth more. West’s lawyers had argued that Saxon should receive no attorneys’ fees. His spokesperson criticised the result and described it as humiliating for opposing counsel.
Saxon sued in 2023 over injuries he said he suffered while working at the beachfront property, which West bought for $57 million in 2021. At trial, Saxon described plans to strip the house, designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando, and convert it into an off-grid bunker. He said he injured his back and neck, was wrongly treated as an independent contractor and was owed compensation. The jury awarded $100,000 for medical expenses and $40,000 for past pain and suffering, but made no award for future pain and suffering or punitive damages. It rejected claims of wrongful termination and found no malice, oppression or fraud. West later sold the gutted house for $21 million.
The jury award was far below the $1.7 million in damages Saxon had sought. West disputed Saxon’s account, describing him as an unlicensed and underqualified contractor and blaming him for damage to the property. He has also countersued, alleging that Saxon’s lien and publicity campaign interfered with the home’s sale; that case remains pending. Reports place the fee ruling in October, but differ in some details of its timing and in which opposing lawyer West’s spokesperson singled out in his response.
Where outlets differ
Rolling Stone reports the ruling as a new decision obtained by the outlet and gives the fee and cost amounts to the cent; Billboard describes it as a Tuesday order and rounds the additional award to $181,000 and the overall total to $321,000.
Rolling Stone says West’s spokesperson called the ruling humiliating for the other side. Billboard gives a longer statement from spokesperson Milo Yiannopoulos specifically targeting co-counsel Neama Rahmani.
The accounts place the jury verdict in March, while Billboard specifies March in the year of its report. Rolling Stone also includes more detail about the jury’s deliberations and the judge’s initial tentative fee assessment; Billboard gives more attention to West’s countersuit and other employee litigation.
More coverage
- Billboard — Ye Must Now Pay Over $300,000 to Construction Worker Injured During Malibu Mansion Build
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Originally published by Rolling Stone as “Kanye West Slapped With Nearly $200,000 in Legal Fees and Costs in Malibu Mansion Fiasco”.