Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, now owes a former employee a six-figure payout after a California jury ruled in favor of the worker who sued over wages and working conditions tied to one of the rapper’s high-profile construction projects.
Ye has been ordered to pay $140,000 to former employee Tony Saxton for medical expenses and lost wages following a lawsuit connected to work performed at Ye’s Malibu property. Saxton originally filed the lawsuit seeking $1.7 million, claiming he was hired as a project manager for renovations at Ye’s former $57 million Malibu estate. In court filings, Saxton alleged he worked for about seven weeks on the project but received payment only once before his employment ended.
During the trial, Ye took the stand as the final witness in the case. According to KABC, Ye told the court he only had a vague memory of Saxton and said he was unsure who officially hired him to work on the Malibu construction project.
Ye’s wife, Bianca Censori, also testified in court. She told jurors she worked with Saxton briefly while involved with the same property development.
The Malibu home at the center of the case previously made headlines because of its massive renovation plans before Ye eventually sold the oceanfront property. The legal dispute now closes with the jury’s financial award in Saxton’s favor.
