Kanye West forced his project manager to sleep on concrete floors at the construction site of his Malibu mansion in September 2021.
Tony Saxon testified in Los Angeles court that the Hip-Hop mogul woke him up at 3 A.M., demanding work updates. Saxon told jurors that Ye stood over his makeshift bed and asked, “Why are you not working?” in the middle of the night.
According to Rolling Stone‘s Nancy Dillion, Saxon was fired after expressing concerns about three large generators that posed fatal poisoning risks.
Ye reportedly told Saxon, “If you don’t do what I asked you to do, you’re a Clinton. You’re a Kardashian. You’re an enemy.”
The 35-year-old contractor worked six weeks overseeing demolition of the $57.3 million Tadao Ando-designed home that Ye purchased earlier that year.
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The Grammy winner wanted to transform the architectural masterpiece into an off-grid bunker with no city connections.
Saxon explained that Ye ordered the removal of all wiring, plumbing, windows, jacuzzi, chimney and marble bathroom fixtures during the aggressive renovation project.
“He wanted to turn the home into an open-concept, off-the-grid bunker, with privatized Wi-Fi and renewable energy,” Saxon testified, according to Rolling Stone. “He didn’t want to be connected to the city’s power grid or water grid.”
Text messages shown to the jury revealed the working relationship between Saxon and Ye during the construction period. The two men addressed each other as “brother” and exchanged heart emojis as they discussed project updates and budget concerns throughout the demolition process.
Saxon claims he suffered severe back injuries while dismantling chimney stacks using a pulley system with chains.
Ye’s defense attorney, Andrew Cherkasky, argued that Saxon was an unlicensed contractor who destroyed the architectural gem while working independently.
The lawyer claimed Saxon wanted to keep the project under the radar because he feared inspectors would discover his unlicensed status.
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