The rapper formerly known as Kanye West must also foot Tony Saxon’s legal fees, a jury ruled on March 11.

Ye ordered to pay $140,000 to contractor who demanded $1.7 million in Malibu mansion lawsuit

The rapper formerly known as Kanye West must also foot Tony Saxon's legal fees, a jury ruled on March 11.

By Kathleen Perricone

on March 12, 2026 12:05 a.m. ET

Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, and Tony Saxon. Credit:

Brad Barket/Getty; Tony Saxon

Wednesday was indeed a “Good Morning” for Ye: a jury decided he must pay only a fraction of a $1.7 million lawsuit.

The rapper formerly known as Kanye West was ordered to reimburse Tony Saxon, a contractor hired to work on his Malibu mansion, $140,000 for medical expenses and lost wages.

That sum is far less than the $1.7 million Saxon originally sought when he sued Ye in September 2023 over claims of labor violations, nonpayment of services, and disability discrimination.

"The jury rejected almost all of his claims," Ye representative Milo Yiannopoulos tells **. "They awarded no damages for lost wages, overtime, waiting-time penalties, retaliation, punitive damages, or any other statutory penalties. The only damages awarded were $140,000 related to Saxon’s claim that he was injured while working on the property."

Tony Saxon (right) working on Ye's Malibu mansion.

However, Ye will also have to foot Saxon’s legal bills, which could inflate the grand total to more than $1 million, estimates Neama Rahmani, one of Saxon’s attorneys.

“Today’s mixed verdict is a vindication for our client,” added Ronald Zambrano, another member of Saxon’s legal team. “In true David-vs.-Goliath fashion, Mr. Saxon stood firm against one of the biggest celebrities in the world, with the truth on his side.”

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In his complaint, Saxon alleged that he was fired from Ye’s construction project in November 2021, after only seven weeks on the job (and one paycheck), because he failed to comply with the rapper’s “dangerous requests.”

During his brief time working on the $57 million beachfront mansion, Saxon claims he was severely injured. Additionally, he was forced to sleep on the floor in a sleeping bag while acting as a security guard for the property.

Ye denied all claims in his November 2023 response and disputed that Saxon “has sustained any injury, damage, or loss by reason of any act, omission or breach by Defendant.”

The rapper took the stand on Monday, two weeks into the trial, and reportedly gave only short answers, such as "I don't recall." Additionally, he “repeatedly yawned, closed his eyes for long stretches, and at times seemed to catch his head falling forward,” according to *Rolling Stone*.

The bed Tony Saxon slept overnight at Ye's Malibu mansion.

Wednesday’s ruling is not the end of the legal battle between Ye and Saxon.

In January, the rapper filed his own lawsuit against Saxon and his legal team over a $1.8 million lien placed on the Malibu mansion.

“We now proceed to the larger and more consequential case: Our action against Saxon and his attorneys, Ron Zambrano and West Coast Trial Lawyers, arising from their recording and publicizing of an unlawful mechanic’s lien on Ye’s Malibu property,” Yiannopoulous tells *EW*. “That lien clouded the home’s title and interfered with its sale, destroying substantial value at the time of sale... The second lawsuit will address the far more serious misconduct surrounding the lien and the damages it caused.”

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The $57 million beachfront mansion in question was designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando, but Ye had it completely gutted with the plan to turn it into “my bomb shelter.” Three years later, amid the construction chaos, he sold it for $21 million, a remarkable loss, to developer Steven Belmont.

But the nightmare continues for the new owner: In December, the property was facing foreclosure after Belmont’s Belwood Investments missed several payments totaling $814,000 to its lender.

*: This article has been edited to include a statement from Ye's representative.*

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Source: “EW Celebrity”