Kanye West, Defense Team Attack $150K Jury Decision

Kanye West’s legal team challenges a $150K jury verdict in his Malibu mansion lawsuit, calling the evidence insufficient.

A $150,000 jury verdict against Kanye West is now under fire as his legal team pushes to overturn the decision in his Malibu mansion lawsuit.

Handyman Tony Saxon won the judgment after claiming he suffered serious injuries while renovating West’s $57 million property, which the rapper purchased in 2021 and was designed by renowned architect Tadao Ando.

West’s vision for the estate was radical. He wanted to transform the luxury home into an off-the-grid bunker, ordering the removal of all plumbing, cabinets, electrical systems, and even a built-in concrete fireplace.

When he sold the property three years later, it fetched just $21 million, representing a massive financial loss on the investment.

Saxon originally sought $1.7 million in damages for his injuries. The jury awarded him $150,000 instead, splitting the award equally between past and future economic losses, $50,000 each.

Now West’s attorneys, Andrew and Catherine Cherkasky, are challenging the verdict’s validity.

“This case went to the jury without a single admissible medical bill, without any medical records establishing injury, and without expert testimony grounded in any reliable causation or valuation methodology,” the attorneys wrote in their motion.

They highlighted a glaring contradiction in the jury’s decision. The panel awarded $50,000 for future economic losses but simultaneously awarded zero dollars for future pain and suffering, despite the physician’s recommendations for ongoing treatment being based entirely on anticipated pain.

Saxon’s legal team, led by Ronald Zambrano, dismissed the motion as an attempt to relitigate settled matters.

“We have strong confidence the judge will make the same decision, disagree with defendants’ reading of the law, and leave the jury’s verdict as is,” Zambrano said.

Attorney Neama Rahmani added that attorney fees and costs could push the final judgment well above $1 million.

During the trial, jurors determined that Saxon qualified as an employee rather than an independent contractor, though they found no evidence of wrongful termination, malice, or fraud.

West’s behavior on the stand drew attention from jurors, with some noting he appeared bored and others observing he seemed contemptuous.

His spokesperson, Milo Yiannopoulos, argued that portions of the verdict actually supported West’s position that Saxon worked as a contractor, making the damages award legally barred.

A hearing on the motion to dismiss is scheduled for April 15, 2026

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