Former Kanye West home remodeler alleges dangerous working conditions
A construction consultant who claims to have worked on remodeling a Malibu mansion for Ye — formerly known as Kanye West — is suing the superstar over alleged dangerous working conditions and unpaid wages.
Tony Saxon told ABC News' Nightline that Ye owes him $1 million for the work he did on the home following its purchase in 2021, and that the rapper's space posed safety hazards for those performing labor on the home.
Though Saxon admitted that he was enlisted to help with the house without a contract and that he voluntarily put in extra hours to complete the project, he said the site was unsafe, noting his personal decision to sleep on the floor in the unfinished building.
Saxon also claimed that he lodged complaints about conditions after West asked him to demolish parts of the home without safety equipment. The artist also allegedly asked Saxon to remove electrical wiring in the home and power the site with generators indoors.
Gotham/GC Images Kanye West, a.k.a. Ye
"You can only pay people so much to do crazy work," Saxon said in his interview with Nightline. He elaborated, saying he pushed back on the generator idea, which he said incited a "furious" response from West before he was fired. "I said you cannot have carbon monoxide running into a building, exhaust from generators — you're going to suffocate everyone."
Legal representatives for West did not immediately respond to EW's request for comment.
Saxon's complaint marks the latest in a string of controversies surrounding West, whose Yeezy line was dropped by Adidas in 2022 after he made anti-Semitic remarks on social media. Adidas condemned the behavior as "hateful and dangerous" in a statement before announcing that it would cease production of Yeezy apparel.
Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.
Related content:
