Kanye West wanted his Malibu mansion to be an off-grid shelter after his divorce from Kim Kardashian, a court has heard.
The rapper splashed $57 million on the sprawling pad in September 2021, just seven months after the reality TV star filed for divorce following seven years of marriage.
He has been taken to court by a construction worker, who claims he went unpaid and his safety was put at risk when he gutted the architecturally-significant property.
West’s attorney Andrew Cherkasky told the downtown LA courtroom on Tuesday: “This was going to be his personal house for Ye and his family.”
He said the Grammy winner had wanted the seaside shelter stripped of everything, including electricity, toilets, fireplaces and plumbing.
Cherkasky said West was like anyone else “dreaming of living on the Pacific Ocean. Most rich people buy expensive things, he wanted it to be the most minimal.”
He pointed out that Kanye wrote a song called “Off The Grid” on an album dedicated to his mother.
The court case centers around plaintiff’s Tony Saxon over the tumultuous remodeling of the beachfront Malibu mansion.
Saxon alleges unpaid wages, unsafe working conditions, and wrongful termination after he was hired to manage, secure, and live in the property during its renovation, according to court documents.
The rapper’s overhaul of the structure removed almost all of the original design.
When it was put on the market in 2024, the home had no electric, no plumbing, no windows and no interior finishes. Saxon is expected to take the witness stand on Wednesday.
West’s spokesman Milo Yiannopoulos told The Post: “The truth is that Tony worked as an independent contractor, unlicensed and unsafe, masquerading as a properly licensed worker.”
Saxon is seeking over $1 million from West. Both West and his wife Bianca Censori are expected to testify.
