Kanye West has filed a brand new lawsuit accusing a former worker and his attorneys of improperly utilizing the rapper’s former residence in Malibu, California, as leverage in an ongoing authorized dispute.
According to courtroom paperwork filed Thursday (Jan. 8) in Los Angeles Superior Court, Ye and his actual property entity, Shore Drive Holdings, LLC, are suing Anthony Saxon Netelkos (also referred to as Tony Saxon), together with Saxon’s legal professionals and the legislation agency West Coast Trial Lawyers.
The lawsuit accuses Saxon and his authorized staff of “wrongfully” recording and sustaining an invalid $1.8 million mechanic’s lien on the property.
In the criticism, Ye claims the lien wasn’t merely a authorized software to resolve unpaid work allegations however a part of a broader technique to strain him publicly.
The submitting alleges Saxon and his attorneys pushed what it describes as an “aggressive publicity campaign” designed to sit back potential transactions and extract fee on claims that Ye says have been already being litigated in a separate case.
Saxon beforehand sued Ye in September 2023, alleging varied labor violations and nonpayment for companies associated to the Malibu property. Ye has denied these allegations.
Ye’s new lawsuit states that after he listed the Malibu residence on the market in December 2023, Saxon and his authorized staff recorded a mechanic’s lien on Jan. 10, 2024, claiming $1,819,986 for building and demolition-related work.
A mechanic’s lien is usually filed by contractors or laborers who allege they weren’t paid for work, and it could possibly complicate or forestall the sale of a property if unresolved.
The criticism additionally cites feedback attributed to Saxon’s lawyer, Ronald Zambrano, implying any potential purchaser must take care of Saxon’s aspect earlier than a sale may proceed. Ye argues these remarks have been supposed to create public strain and falsely recommended Saxon had enforceable rights to dam transactions and redirect proceeds.
Ye additional claims Saxon repeated related messaging on-line the identical day, allegedly stating that sale proceeds from the property must be used to pay him.
In the lawsuit, Ye says Saxon and his authorized staff didn’t take the mandatory authorized steps to implement the lien inside the required timeframe, which means it expired by legislation. The criticism notes Ye secured a lien launch bond to clear the title and proceed with a transaction.
Ye additionally factors out that the courtroom beforehand dominated in his favor: The submitting states a choose granted Ye’s petition to launch the lien from the bond on July 1, 2025, and later awarded him lawyer’s charges on Oct. 2, 2025.
Ye is now suing for claims together with slander of title, interference with financial benefit, abuse of course of, and unfair competitors. He is demanding a jury trial.