Tony Saxon gave witness testimony in his lawsuit against Kanye West this week for alleged labor violations, injuries, and lack of pay.
Kanye West is no stranger to legal trouble throughout his career, and now Ye is trying to resolve a dispute in civil court. Construction worker Tony Saxon recently testified in court over his lawsuit against Ye for Malibu mansion work, alleging labor violations, injuries, unpaid work, and more.
According to Rolling Stone, Saxon took the stand on Wednesday (February 25). He claimed that Kanye forced him to live at the property around the clock to fulfill a security role he didn’t originally sign up for. The contractor claimed that Ye woke him up twice without warning in the middle of the night.
Jurors saw pictures of Saxon’s living conditions, which were a small mattress on the floor next to bottled water and Ensure protein drinks. While he said he had a cordial and friendly relationship with the Chicago artist, he said the Yeezy mogul put a lot of pressure and subjected him to unfair working conditions.
Tony Saxon also showed text message exchanges between him and Kanye West, who denies these allegations. He and his legal team instead accused Saxon of sabotaging the project, avoiding being exposed for not having a license, and failing to meet Ye’s demands for the demolition of his Malibu mansion and its reconstruction.
“Since you’re going to be there so much, running shifts, you should be the security,” Kanye West allegedly ordered Tony Saxon. “Stay here now. You can’t leave.”
Ye’s legal team claims that Saxon worked as an independent contractor, not an employee. On the other hand, Saxon claims the low-key nature of the project was due to Kanye not having permits, not his alleged lack of a license. He also pointed to a back injury he sustained during work on the property, with the defense arguing that no medical record exists proving this. Tony Saxon’s lawyer Ron Zambrano admitted his client didn’t seek treatment.
Kanye West is also set to testify here, along with his wife Bianca Censori. Censori was allegedly the one to reach out to Saxon. His lawsuit also claims retaliation. The contractor told Rolling Stone a few years ago that Ye called him a “Clinton” and a “Kardashian” for not doing what Ye asked him to do.