Sep. 13 2023, Published 12:17 p.m. ET
Kanye West’s ex-employee said he was fired after complaining about dangerous working conditions at the musician’s $55 million mansion, RadarOnline.com has learned.
According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, a man named Tony Saxon has filed a bombshell lawsuit against West accusing him of discrimination, violations of the labor code, and retaliation.
Saxon said he was hired in September 2021 to work as a project manager for West. He was to provide full-time security and act as a live-in caretaker for West’s home in Malibu.
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The employee said he had work experience in construction which West utilized. Saxon said his responsibilities included full coordination of the project which included 16-hour day labor, including cleaning construction and demolition work, coordinating all workers, hiring contractors, and providing 24/7 security.
“Throughout the entirety of Plaintiff’s employment, Plaintiff was sleeping in makeshift conditions, finding empty spaces on the ground and using his coat as a makeshift bedding. These sleeping arrangements were near open insulation. Plaintiff did not have access to a proper bed or comfortable sleeping environment,” the lawsuit read.
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Saxon said he complained numerous times about the working conditions. He said aside from the bed issue, he raised complaints about various safety hazards including workers unsafely demolishing various parts of the house with no safety equipment. No action was taken by” West, the lawsuit alleged.
Saxon said he was promised his pay rate would be $20k per week.
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In early October, Saxon said he told West’s accountant about the “challenges he” was facing while living at the home. He said he was dealing with anxiety and stress — and asked that West’s previous security team be reinstated. He said no action was taken.
The suit alleged, “throughout the entirety of Plaintiff’s employment, Defendant exhibited a consistent pattern of being unresponsive and difficult to communicate with. Defendant’s preference for shorter text messages, bullet points, or PDFs made it challenging for Plaintiff to effectively address and elaborate on numerous key specifics related to the project.”
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In November, Saxon said he told West he had injured his back and needed time off. “Defendant continued to insist on having updates on the house,” the suit read.
Later in the month, he claimed that during a team meeting, West demanded Saxon remove all the electricity and windows from the home. Saxon said he expressed concerns about the extreme “danger” of such actions, as the project was not yet completed.
The court docs read, “Despite Plaintiff’s explanations, Defendant persisted, raising his voice, and insisting on moving large generators inside the house, which could potentially lead to a fire hazard. Defendant threatened Plaintiff, claiming he would be considered an enemy if he did not comply. Faced with such dangerous demands, Plaintiff chose not to put others and himself at risk and was subsequently told by Defendant to “get the hell out.”
Saxon said he was terminated for refusing to comply with West’s request.
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The suit alleged, Specifically, when Plaintiff refused to engage in unlawful conduct or to engage in activity that would further cause him physical injury, Mr. Ye responded: “If you don’t do what I say, you’re not going to work for me, I’m not gonna be your friend anymore and you’ll just see me on TV.” To which Plaintiff replied, “I don’t watch TV.” Mr. Ye ended the exchange with “Leave.”
Saxon’s lawsuit seeks in excess of $1 million in damages for the alleged discrimination and wages owed.