Kanye West Insults Former Employee’s Body Odor in Court
The artist formerly known as Kanye West appeared to be bored and exhausted during a court appearance regarding a lawsuit filed by his former employee. In 2023, Tony Saxon filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the rapper, who now goes by Ye. Ye answered “I do not recall” to many questions in court, but he claimed he was able to remember how his former employee smelled.
Kanye West’s former employee is suing him for $1 million
In Saxon’s lawsuit, he claims that Ye hired him as a project manager in 2021 before firing him two months later. According to ABC News, he alleges that his duties included serving as the full-time security guard and live-in caretaker for his Malibu home. Ye bought the home for $57.3 million in 2021, before selling it in 2024. When he put it back on the market, it had no windows, no electricity, no plumbing, and no interior finishes.
Saxon added that his 16-hour workday saw him overseeing construction and demolition projects, managing workers, and hiring contractors. He also alleged that Ye did not pay him everything he owed, and had him living in “makeshift conditions.” Saxon is suing Ye for $1 million.
Kanye West insulted his former employee’s body odor
During a recent court appearance, Ye frequently yawned and closed his eyes for long stretches, sometimes even seeming to doze off. Rolling Stone reports that at one point, Ron Zambrano, the lawyer representing Saxon, turned to a colleague and mouthed, “Is he asleep?”
He gave many one-word answers during his testimony, but he also frequently answered, “I don’t recall” to questions. One thing he was able to recall, however, was the answer to the question, “Do you have any memory of Mr. Saxon having a bad body odor?” Per Variety, Ye responded with a blunt, “Yes.”
He has faced lawsuits from former employees before this
Saxon’s lawsuit is not the first time a former employee has sued Ye. In 2024, his former assistant, Lauren Pisciotta, sued him for sexual harassment, breach of contract, and wrongful termination. Pisciotta alleged that Ye offered her $1 million to delete her OnlyFans account. Afterwards, she alleged that he began sending her lewd messages and pornographic videos. She also said she never received her $3 million severance pay after he fired her.
Another former employee, Trevor Phillips, sued Ye in 2024 for discrimination while working at Donda Academy. Per People, Phillips alleged that Ye would “scream [at] and berate” Black employees and told staff he would fire anyone who was “fat.”
Phillips also said Ye shouted at him in front of 100 people in an “immature temper tantrum.”
“His dream of working for someone he once admired as a great artist was like his spirit — crushed,” the complaint said. “While Kanye considered himself a god or king, in reality he was an ill-tempered tyrant and despot, who sought to mentally obliterate and control those around him.”
Two former teachers at Donda Academy also sued West for failing to follow Department of Education requirements.
