Brief
Judge doubles Kanye West’s award to construction manager to $321,000
Judge Brock T. Hammond increased the award for Tony Saxon after a jury found Ye liable for workers’ compensation violations during a 2021 Malibu mansion renovation.
By Felo News Desk · Published
A California judge on Oct. 13 increased the award for construction manager Tony Saxon, adding $181,000 in legal fees and costs to the $140,000 verdict previously awarded by a March jury. The total now stands at $321,000, according to Billboard.
What happened
Saxon sued Ye (formerly Kanye West) in 2023, alleging a back injury sustained while renovating Ye’s Malibu mansion in 2021. A Los Angeles jury in March found Ye responsible for failing to pay workers’ compensation, but rejected Saxon’s claims for wrongful termination and unpaid wages. On Oct. 13 Judge Brock T. Hammond ordered the additional fees, more than doubling the original award.
What the reports add
Billboard notes that Saxon originally sought $1.7 million in damages, $1.2 million in attorneys’ fees and $300,000 in costs. One of Saxon’s lawyers, Ron Zambrano, said he respected the judge’s openness to higher fees but believed the value of their case was greater than the final amount. Ye’s spokesperson, Milo Yiannopoulos, responded with a statement targeting co‑counsel Neama Rahmani, calling the ruling “a catastrophe for any contingency‑based bottom feeder.”
What was said
“I respect Judge Hammond’s openness to consider my argument,” Zambrano told Billboard. “Though, I believe the value of what we brought to get Mr. Saxon his verdict is above where the judge ultimately landed.” Yiannopoulos said the ruling would be “devastatingly, and, dare I say it, fittingly humiliating for Mr. Rahmani.”
How it came about
The lawsuit stemmed from Saxon’s claim that he injured his back while working around the clock on Ye’s beachside mansion, which was designed by architect Tadao Ando. Ye disputed the claims, describing himself as an “overpaid and underqualified” unlicensed contractor. The case is one of several civil suits filed by former Ye employees, some of which are scheduled for trial in February.
Key facts
- Judge Brock T. Hammond added $181,000 in legal fees to the original $140,000 verdict. (billboard.com)
- The total award to Tony Saxon is now $321,000. (billboard.com)
- Saxon originally sought $1.7 million in damages, $1.2 million in attorneys’ fees and $300,000 in costs. (billboard.com)
- Ye’s spokesperson Milo Yiannopoulos issued a statement criticizing Saxon’s co‑counsel Neama Rahmani. (billboard.com)
- The lawsuit arose from a back injury Saxon claimed to have suffered during a 2021 renovation of Ye’s Malibu mansion. (billboard.com)
Sources
- [1] billboard.com — originally reported as “Ye Must Now Pay Over $300,000 to Construction Worker Injured During Malibu Mansion Build”
