Kanye West’s Malibu mansion legal battle has become even more expensive. The rapper, now known as Ye, has reportedly been ordered to pay more than $181,000 in attorneys’ fees and legal costs. The ruling comes months after a jury awarded former worker Tony Saxon $140,000 in damages.
Judge orders Ye to cover Tony Saxon’s attorneys’ fees and costs, claims report
According to Rolling Stone, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ordered Kanye West to pay $181,433.93 to Tony Saxon’s legal team. The amount includes $147,000 in attorneys’ fees and $34,433.93 in legal costs.
The outlet reported that Saxon’s lawyers initially requested a much larger amount. Judge Brock Hammond first proposed a smaller award, then increased it after hearing additional arguments from Saxon’s attorney, Ron Zambrano.
Zambrano welcomed the revised ruling. However, he said he still believed the legal work justified a higher award. Meanwhile, a West spokesperson described the decision as “humiliating” for the opposing side. West’s legal team had argued that Saxon should not receive any attorneys’ fees.
The dispute dates back to 2023 when Saxon sued the rapper over work performed at his $57 million Malibu beach house. During the trial, Saxon claimed he suffered serious back and neck injuries while working on extensive renovations. He also alleged he was misclassified as an independent contractor and denied proper workers’ compensation coverage.
Earlier this year, a jury awarded Saxon $140,000. The compensation included $100,000 for medical expenses and $40,000 for pain and suffering. However, jurors rejected his claims for future pain and suffering, wrongful termination, and punitive damages.
The lawsuit centered on West’s ambitious plans to transform the oceanfront property into an off-the-grid bunker. According to trial testimony, workers removed major features, including plumbing, electrical systems, cabinets, and a concrete fireplace. West later sold the stripped-down mansion for $21 million, far below the $57 million he originally paid. West is currently appealing the original $140,000 judgment, while the latest order further increases his legal costs in the ongoing case.
