Court rules Kanye West must pay $140,000 to ex-project manager

A courtroom battle involving Kanye West and a former worker has finally wrapped up and the jury has spoken.

The case was brought by Tony Saxton, a man who says he briefly worked for the music star while renovations were underway at Kanye West’s luxury Malibu property.

Saxton claimed things went south quickly and took the matter to court, asking for more than $1.7 million in damages.
But when the verdict came down, the payout looked very different.

Jurors decided Kanye West must pay $140,000, covering Saxton’s medical costs along with wages he said he never received. It’s a far cry from the seven-figure sum Saxton originally sought, but still a clear win for the former employee.
So how did it get here?

According to TMZ, Saxton told the court he had been brought in as a project manager to help oversee work at Kanye West’s once-$57 million Malibu estate. According to his account, the job barely got off the ground.

He said he worked there for about seven weeks, received only one payment, and was later dismissed.

He also alleged that the conditions on the project were unsafe and that his firing was unjust.

The trial itself had a few eyebrow-raising moments. During testimony, Kanye West reportedly appeared disengaged while answering questions. One report claimed he even seemed to nod off at times while being questioned.

When asked about Saxton, Kanye West told the court his memory of the man was unclear, saying he couldn’t recall exactly who hired him for the project in the first place.

Kanye West’s wife, Bianca Censori, also testified. She acknowledged working with Saxton during the Malibu project but said their interaction was brief and limited.

In the end, the jury didn’t grant the massive payout Saxton wanted but they still concluded he was owed compensation.

And just like that, a dispute that started with a short lived job at a high-end Malibu property has ended with a six figure judgment against one of music’s most controversial figures.