Kanye West, legally known as Ye, is facing renewed legal heat from former project manager Tony Saxon over a $1.8 million construction-related lien tied to the rapper’s infamous gutted Malibu beachfront mansion, a property now reportedly entangled in foreclosure issues under its current owner. According to the Los Angeles Times and AllHipHop, the dispute centers on a mechanics lien Saxon filed in early 2024 for unpaid work on the Malibu home that Ye purchased in 2021 and later sold at a steep loss in 2024.[1][2]
Saxon, who previously worked as Ye’s project manager, security guard, and caretaker at the Malibu property, first sued the artist in September 2023 in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging labor violations, nonpayment for services, and disability discrimination.[1][2][6] In January 2024, he allegedly recorded a $1.8 million mechanics lien against the Malibu house, claiming compensation for project management and construction-related services on the concrete beachfront structure.[1][2][5] Under California law, a mechanics lien can give an unpaid contractor or laborer the right to push a property toward foreclosure if the debt remains unresolved.[1][2][4]
The lien became a flashpoint after Ye listed the Malibu property for sale in December 2023, shortly before offloading the unfinished home to developer Steven Belmont’s Belwood Investments in 2024 for a reported $21 million—far below the roughly $57.3 million Ye paid in 2021.[1][2][4] According to court filings cited by the Los Angeles Times, Ye’s legal team claims Saxon and his attorneys at West Coast Trial Lawyers launched an “aggressive publicity campaign” once the lien was recorded, with Saxon’s lawyer Ronald Zambrano allegedly telling Business Insider that any buyer would “have to deal with us first” and that a sale could not happen without Saxon being paid.[1][2][4]
Legal documents state that Los Angeles Superior Court later granted Ye’s motion to release the lien from a bond and awarded him attorneys’ fees, although Saxon reportedly continues to pursue his broader claims in the separate labor lawsuit.[1][2][4] Meanwhile, the Malibu property itself has become a cautionary tale in celebrity real estate: Ye gutted the Tadao Ando–designed concrete mansion—removing windows, doors, plumbing, and electricity—and the current owner is now reportedly facing foreclosure pressure as the once high-profile asset turns into a financial sinkhole for multiple parties.[1][2]
This latest chapter adds to the growing list of legal and financial controversies surrounding Kanye West in the post–Donda era, highlighting the risks and fallout tied to his ambitious but chaotic design and construction projects. For hip-hop and entertainment observers, the Malibu mansion saga underscores how rapidly a marquee architectural flex can spiral into years of litigation, multimillion-dollar losses, and public scrutiny over how artists manage massive real estate bets and the workers behind them.[1][2]
