Kanye West forced to pay six figures in Malibu mansion trial
The jury has found Kanye West liable in his Malibu mansion trial.
Tony Saxon, a construction project manager and security guard, was awarded $140,000 despite asking for $1.7 million in compensatory damages.
According to Rolling Stone, Saxon won $100,000 for past and future medical expenses, and $40,000 for past pain and suffering. Jurors found that Saxon hadn’t been wrongfully terminated and that Ye didn’t engage in “malice, oppression or fraud.”
Saxon accused Kanye of mistreating him after working on renovations for his Malibu home, alleging he was hired in September 2021 and wrongfully sacked two months later. He claims he faced dangerous working conditions and wasn’t properly paid for his work.
Several jurors spoke out anonymously following the verdict, sharing their opinion of the trial and Kanye’s behaviour in court.
One juror said, “It took a lot of discussion to get to $140,000. Some people wanted to go higher. We thought [Saxon] was injured, but there were too many other nebulous things to consider.”
Last week, it was reported that Kanye seemingly fell asleep while delivering his testimony. A juror said, “He looked at us contemptuously. It was just a waste of our time. Either he was just bored, or he was falling asleep on the stand. Both are bad options. I was not impressed.”
Another juror added, “Oh, he fell asleep. I saw it. I was kind of surprised. I could tell he’s not what some of my friends who still like him believe.”
Despite the verdict, Saxon’s lawyer, Neama Rahmani, claims Kanye’s final payment will be much higher than the amount awarded.
“Obviously, it’s not as much as we asked for, but under the labour code, they have to pay attorney fees and costs,” he said. “It’s going to be a lot more than $140,000 when it’s all said and done. The final judgment should be over $1 million.”