Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, drew attention in court during testimony in the Malibu mansion trial after appearing tired and repeatedly saying he could not remember key details. The case centers on contractor Tony Saxon, who claims he is owed USD 1 million in wages and expenses tied to work on Ye’s former beachside property in 2021. While Ye answered some questions directly, much of his testimony was marked by brief responses, long pauses, and repeated claims that he did not recall the events.
Kanye West’s Malibu mansion trial testimony
Rolling Stone reported that Ye repeatedly yawned, closed his eyes for long stretches, and at times seemed to catch his head falling forward as if dozing while seated on the witness stand. The publication added that the sleepy performance prompted glances among people in the gallery. and said that Ron Zambrano, the attorney for plaintiff Tony Saxon, mouthed to a fellow lawyer, “Is he asleep?”Courthouse News Service also reported that Ye “at times appeared to nod off in the small courtroom in downtown Los Angeles as Zambrano quizzed him.” When he was alert, Ye often answered with “yes,” “no,” or “I don’t recall.” Still, one exchange stood out. Emilie Hagen, who has been posting updates from the trial on Instagram, recalled that Ye denied remembering several moments with Saxon, including trips to McDonald’s and a hardware store, as well as a call when Saxon ran out of gas. But when asked, “‘Do you have any memory of Mr. Saxon having a bad body odor?’” Ye answered, “Yes.”
Ye’s testimony and Bianca Censori’s court appearance
Ye also corrected the lawyer on how he should be addressed,“It’s just Ye. No ‘mister.” He did offer more detail on a few points. Asked whether he wanted every staircase in the house turned into slides, Ye said he wanted only one staircase changed. Regarding his claim that he wanted all plumbing and electricity removed, he said the plumbing would remain, but “it was going to be a different system.”His testimony followed Bianca Censori’s appearance on the stand a day earlier. She also said she could “not recall” many details but spoke more than Ye did. Censori insisted Saxon had misrepresented his credentials, saying, “When I stopped working at the house, I said, ‘Do you have a contractor’s license?’ And he said he did.” Saxon disputed that account, testifying, “I told him I was just a guy with a minivan, not a licensed contractor.”
