Kanye West Faces Court Battle Over Malibu Mansion as Ex-Employee Seeks $1M in Unpaid Wages
Kanye West Faces Court Battle Over Malibu Mansion as Ex-Employee Seeks $1M in Unpaid Wages
Colson ThayerMon, February 23, 2026 at 8:30 PM UTC
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L: Kanye West; R: Tony Saxon
Tony Saxon
Kanye West is being sued by a former employee over alleged unsafe working conditions and unpaid wages
Tony Saxon claims he was hired as a project manager for the rapper's former Malibu, Calif., mansion, but was only paid once
The lawsuit alleges disability discrimination and labor violations, with Saxon seeking over $1 million in damages
Jury selection is slated to begin on Feb. 23
A lawsuit over Kanye West’s multi-million dollar California home is set to begin jury selection on Monday, Feb. 23.
The lawsuit, first filed in September 2023, claims the Grammy-winner subjected a former employee to unsafe and hazardous working conditions, disability discrimination, unpaid wages and reimbursements and wrongful retaliatory termination.
West, who now goes by “Ye,” purchased a beachfront Malibu, Calif., home in 2021 for $57 million. He has since stripped all of the interior fixtures and fittings. In August 2024, Selling Sunset’s Jason Oppenheim, whose brokerage sold the property, confirmed to PEOPLE it was in escrow.
Tony Saxon, a California resident, claims he was hired as a project manager for the property in September 2021, according to the initial complaint obtained by PEOPLE. Saxon was allegedly hired to also act as “full-time security” and a “live in caretaker” for the property at a pay rate of $20,000 a week.
Tony Saxon works on Kanye West's former Malibu mansion.
Tony Saxon
However, Saxon claims he only ever received one of those payments. Additionally, he alleges he was forced to sleep in “makeshift conditions” on the property, “finding empty spaces on the ground and using his coat as a makeshift bedding,” per the suit. West allegedly ignored these complaints after they were mentioned by the project manager.
Around the beginning of November 2021, Saxon says he "injured his back severely” and requested time off to rest, but West allegedly demanded progress on the house continue.
Tony Saxon's "makeshift" bedding inside Kanye West's former Malibu mansion
Tony Saxon
On Nov. 5, 2021, Saxon was allegedly terminated for not complying with the "dangerous requests” made by West.
Saxon’s lawsuit alleges disability discrimination, violation of the California Fair Employment and Housing Act and multiple labor code violations. He is being represented by attorneys Ron Zambrano and Neama Rhamani of West Coast Employment Lawyers.
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According to a Feb. 13 press release published on behalf of the firm, Saxon says he is owed more than $1 million in unpaid wages and loss of earnings. According to the complaint, he is also seeking compensation for medical expenses and emotional distress.
“Tony has been waiting for two and a half years for his day in court, and he’s looking forward to telling his story to a jury,” Rhamani says in a statement shared with PEOPLE. “This is the first time Ye will be testifying in a courtroom... The public will be able to draw their own conclusions as to who is telling the truth."
According to court records reviewed by PEOPLE, the jury trial begins on Feb. 23. Judge Brock T. Hammond is presiding over the case.
PEOPLE has reached out to West’s attorneys for comment.
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In January, West filed a lawsuit against Saxon and his lawyers, claiming they wrongfully put a $1.8 million lien on the property, per the Los Angeles Times. The lawsuit claims Saxon placed the "mechanics” lien on the property in January 2024 to secure compensation for his work.
A mechanics lien is usually filed by an unpaid laborer, contractor or supply as a hold against the property. If the party remains unpaid, it can prompt a foreclosure sale of the property to secure compensation.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
