During his testimony, Saxon claimed that West had asked him to install a system that would allow “his urine and faeces [to] be treated into fresh water for drinking and bathing”.
He testified that during another occasion, West allegedly noticed he “smelled really bad” because the property didn’t have a shower, and took him to the luxury Nobu Hotel in Malibu, where he drew Saxon a bath.
“He handed me a towel and then says, ‘this is a moment you’ll never forget,'” Saxon told the court.
Saxon also told the court that West wanted to “gut” the beach house, which was built and designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architect Tadao Ando, to make it off-grid.
Saxon claimed those changes included removing electricity and plumbing from the home, as well as removing a staircase and replacing it with a slide.
When West took the stand, he reportedly said he did not remember many of the interactions Saxon testified to, but he did acknowledge complaining about the handyman’s smell.
West’s lawyer Andrew Cherkasky depicted Saxon as an unreliable witness, and said bank records showed Saxon was paid $240,000 during the six weeks he worked for the rapper. The rapper’s team also disputed Saxon’s reported injuries, sharing a video showing the handyman preforming with a band and rolling on the floor.
“The lies are so deep and so wicked that not a thing can be believed that came out of his mouth,” Cherkasky said in his closing statements, calling Saxon “a professional victim”.
West took the stand and was questioned about the case. While in court, he appeared to fall asleep at one point, media reports indicate.
His lawyer, though, refuted that West fell asleep, telling the jury: “He wasn’t sleeping. He was bored. This is beneath him.”
West bought the home for $57m in 2021, but after it was stripped out and abandoned, sold it for a loss in 2023.
Saxon had sought $1.7m for lost wages and medical expenses incurred while working at the property, but following the 10-day trial, he was awarded $140,000 in damages.
It is the first of more than a dozen lawsuits filed against West by former employees to go to trial.
The rapper has gone through an epic downfall over the last few years over his racist and anti-Semitic tirades online, leaving many brands and companies cutting ties with him. He was blocked last year from entering Australia over his song that glorified Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.