Kanye West
Kanye West at the Vanity Fair kickoff party for the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival.

Kanye West wanted every toilet, window, fireplace, and electrical outlet ripped out of his $57.3m Malibu mansion to create an 'off-the-grid shelter,' a jury heard as the rapper's civil trial opened in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

'He wanted no toilets. If people had to go Number 2, it was a hole in the ground,' plaintiff's lawyer Ron Zambrano told the court, Rolling Stone reported.

Tony Saxon, a construction worker who claims Ye owes him more than $1m in unpaid wages and damages, sat in court as both sides delivered sharply contrasting accounts of what happened inside the beachfront property designed by celebrated Japanese architect Tadao Ando.

Saxon is expected to take the witness stand on Wednesday.

What Saxon's Lawyer Told The Jury

Zambrano described Ye as a 'volatile visionary' whose ever-shifting demands created a dangerous work environment at the poured-concrete home on the Malibu shoreline.

Saxon was hired in September 2021 as project manager, security guard and live-in caretaker, the court heard. His now-wife, Bianca Censori, who was then pursuing her architectural licence while working for Ye, had first contacted Saxon for interior work on a referral.

Saxon was promised $20,000 a week but claims he received only a single payment, Courthouse News reported.

Ye wanted the property transformed into something 'simple, fresh, clean, with everything removed to be ultra-minimalist,' Zambrano said. Plans also included replacing cement steps with a three-storey slide descending into a pool near the ocean.

When Saxon was asked to help remove chimney stacks, he seriously injured his back, his lawyer alleged. The injury left him unable to stand for long periods or continue his work as a rare-records dealer.

Zambrano told jurors Saxon was later fired after raising concerns that generators on the site posed a risk of fatal carbon monoxide poisoning.

'Ye didn't just dismantle this beach house, he dismantled the rule book,' the lawyer said. Saxon 'was in the way, and he was removed.'

One detail stood out. Zambrano told the jury that Ye once arrived at the house before dawn in a Lamborghini, took Saxon to breakfast at McDonald's, then noticed Saxon 'didn't smell good' from sleeping on the floor. The rapper invited him to the Nobu hotel, drew him a bath, lent him clothes, and sent him back to the house.

Ye's Lawyers Paint A Different Picture

Defence attorney Andrew Cherkasky offered a sharply different account. He told the jury Saxon was an independent contractor, operating without a licence, who earned more than $240,000 for roughly six weeks of work.

Saxon 'claimed he broke his neck working for Ye. He did not,' Cherkasky said. 'He's a guy who had almost nothing who came across an opportunity to work for a billionaire.'

Cherkasky argued Saxon set himself an impossible pace. 'He wanted to work 24/7. He wanted to camp at the house. He wanted to be the guy in charge.'

The lawyer said Ye respected the Ando-designed home as a minimalist masterpiece and envisioned living there with his children in a style closer to beach camping. Saxon, he alleged, 'destroyed' parts of the property rather than following Ye's vision.

He also claimed Saxon worked without permits and feared that building inspectors would ask questions because 'he'd be busted for being unlicensed.'

Ye was not present in court on Tuesday. In his place was Milo Yiannopoulos, serving as spokesman for Yeezy, which is also named as a defendant, Rolling Stone reported.

Why This Case Matters Beyond The Money

Saxon's lawsuit is the first of more than a dozen employment-related cases filed against Ye to reach a jury. A substantial verdict could pressure the rapper to settle the others.

Ye bought the home for $57.3m in 2021, stripped it to a concrete shell, and eventually sold it for $21m in September 2024 — a loss of more than $36m, the Hollywood Reporter reported. When it went on the market, the property had no electricity, no plumbing, no windows and no interior finishes.

Both Ye and Censori are expected to testify during the trial.

What Happens Next

The civil trial is scheduled to run for roughly 12 days before Judge Brock Hammond in Los Angeles Superior Court.

The jury of seven women and five men will need agreement from nine members to reach a verdict. Saxon's legal team said their case would be supported by 94 pages of text messages between Saxon and Ye, and 52 pages of texts between Saxon and Censori.

During jury selection, several prospective jurors expressed disapproval of Ye and his antisemitic statements over the past year. Those ultimately selected said they could set aside personal opinions and follow the law.

Originally published on IBTimes UK