Kanye West Allegedly Ordered Man to Live at Beach House Amid Demolition: ‘You Can’t Leave’

Rolling Stone Music

by Nancy Dillon

February 26, 2026

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Kanye West, now known as Ye, faced intense scrutiny during his trial testimony as a worker alleged he suffered injuries due to the rapper's demanding involvement in the demolition of his Malibu mansion. Tony Saxon, the man suing West, revealed that Ye ordered him to live at the construction site 24/7 and woke him multiple times in the middle of the night to answer questions about the work. Saxon described a tense yet sometimes friendly dynamic with Ye, including exchanged text messages filled with emojis and references to each other as "brother." Despite their rapport, Saxon claimed West's erratic behavior—such as demanding photo updates, enforcing strict uniform rules, and suddenly adding security duties—created a high-pressure environment. Saxon detailed the demolition of the architecturally significant home designed by Tadao Ando, which West purchased for $57.3 million in 2021. The project aimed to transform the house into an open-concept, off-the-grid bunker with renewable energy and minimalistic design. Saxon testified that Ye insisted on keeping the work under wraps due to lack of permits, even instructing him to avoid noise to prevent attention from authorities. This aligns with West's reported desire to keep the renovation "under the radar," as shown in text messages where he expressed concerns about drawing too much attention. West's lawyer argued during opening statements that Saxon was an unlicensed contractor who单

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Originally published on Rolling Stone Music on 2/26/2026