Kanye West, legally known as Ye, appears in court over his Malibu mansion, drawing attention during the proceedings.
The artist legally known as Ye, formerly Kanye West, became one of the most talked-about figures in the courtroom during the trial connected to his former Malibu mansion. The case stems from a lawsuit filed by contractor Tony Saxon, who claims he is owed around one million dollars in unpaid wages and expenses after working on the renovation of the property in 2021.
During his appearance in court, several journalists present described the musician’s behaviour as seemingly drowsy and evasive. According to Rolling Stone, the artist reportedly yawned repeatedly, closed his eyes for extended periods and at times appeared to nod off while seated at the stand, prompting exchanged glances among those in attendance.
The publication also noted that the plaintiff’s lawyer, Ron Zambrano, was overheard whispering to a colleague the question many in the room were asking themselves: whether the artist had actually fallen asleep during the questioning. Reports from Courthouse News Service similarly indicated that the musician seemed to drift off at moments in the small courtroom in downtown Los Angeles while responding to questions from the plaintiff’s legal team.
Throughout his testimony, Ye frequently answered with short phrases such as “yes”, “no”, or “I don’t remember”, offering few details about his working relationship with Tony Saxon or the renovation process of the beachfront property.
One moment in particular caught the attention of observers. According to Emilie Hagen, who has been documenting the trial on social media, the artist stated that he did not recall several interactions involving the contractor — including taking him to McDonald’s, accompanying him to a hardware store, or helping him when he ran out of petrol — yet he did remember an unexpected detail when asked whether he recalled Saxon having body odour, to which he answered yes.
During the hearing, the musician also requested to be addressed exclusively by his current legal name, Ye, clarifying to the court: “It’s just Ye. No ‘sir’.”
The artist’s testimony came one day after his wife, Bianca Censori, also appeared before the court. During her intervention, Censori stated several times that she did not remember certain details, although she provided somewhat more extensive answers than her husband.
The architect also defended one of the central arguments put forward by Ye’s legal team, stating that Tony Saxon may have exaggerated or misrepresented his professional credentials when presenting himself as the contractor for the renovation.
The plaintiff, however, maintains the opposite. According to his testimony, he made it clear from the beginning that he did not hold an official contractor’s licence, describing himself to the artist as “just a guy with a minivan”. Despite that, he claims he was eventually placed in charge of the renovation project before later being dismissed.
The case continues to unfold in court and centres on the work carried out on the well-known oceanfront property that Ye purchased in Malibu, an ambitious architectural project that ultimately remained unfinished.
As the trial moves forward, the musician’s behaviour in the courtroom — marked by brief answers and moments of apparent fatigue — has become one of the most discussed aspects of a case that continues to draw the attention of American media.
-380x380.webp)
