Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, is appealing a jury’s $140,000 award to handyman Tony Saxon, who accused him of underpaying him for renovation work at his Malibu mansion.

Ye maintains Saxon only performed demolition work and was paid $240,000.

Saxon’s lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, claimed the pair had a 2021 agreement for $20,000 per week but that he received only one payment and an additional $100,000 for construction costs. Judge Brock Hammond upheld the March 11 verdict.

On Monday, Ye’s lawyers filed his notice of appeal for a three-justice panel. Ye also sued on January 8, targeting Saxon, his attorney and the firm.

The lawsuit dates back to Saxon’s involvement in renovating Ye’s $57 million Malibu beachfront mansion. Saxon sued Ye, alleging wrongful termination, unpaid wages and a personal injury he says occurred while working on the project.

The singer alleges they wrongfully filed a $1.8 million lien on his Malibu property, falsely claiming work beyond demolition. He is asking that the lien be declared void and he is also seeking $2.27 million in damages.

“The recorded lien was a fabrication and the defendants who prepared it verified it and stood behind it knew as much,” Ye’s suit states.

Meanwhile, Saxon’s lawyers previously filed court papers with Hammond in advance of a scheduled Oct. 7 hearing asking that the plaintiff be granted $1.23 million in attorneys’ fees, citing the work of three attorneys and a paralegal.

The law involved in Saxon’s case included a “complex and interwoven mix of rights” under the Federal Employment and Housing Act and the Labor Code, according to Saxon’s attorneys’ pleadings.

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In his lawsuit filed in September 2023, Saxon maintained he was forced to sleep on the mansion floor while acting as a security guard and fired in November 2021 for not complying with Ye’s “dangerous requests” that could cause the plaintiff to be injured.

Saxon said he often complained to Ye about various dangers during the remodeling.

Some fans believe that Sydney Sweeney has thrown herself into her boyfriend Scooter Braun’s long-running feud with Taylor Swift using a pair of underwear.

The actress, 28, launched another line of SYRN undergarments on Thursday as she posted an Instagram Story of one of the products with the caption: ‘panty packs with some of my lil sayings hehehe [laughing while crying emoji].’

This pair in particular had the phrase ‘but daddy I love him’ on it – a saying that was popularized by Swift’s 2024 song of that name.

As a result, many Swifties believe that this was Sweeney’s way of taking a shot at the singer.

Swift and Braun have been embroiled in a bitter feud since 2019 after the record executive purchased the master recordings to all of her old music.

Some fans believe that Sydney Sweeney has thrown herself into her boyfriend Scooter Braun’s long-running feud with Taylor Swift using a pair of underwear

Sweeney showed off her latest SYRN drop as one pair had the phrase ‘but daddy I love him’ on it – a saying that was popularized by the 2024 song of that name by Taylor Swift

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One fan wrote on X: ‘Sydney Sweeney, girlfriend to Scooter Braun, has a Taylor Swift lyric on a pair of panties that her brand is selling: “but daddy I love him.” And then she says it is one of her little sayings? Messy girl.’ 

Braun’s feud with Swift erupted in 2019, when he purchased the master recordings to her first six studio albums, including her self-titled debut, Fearless, Speak Now, her crossover mega-hit Red, and her first two full-blown pop albums, 1989 and Reputation. 

Technically, Braun obtained the records by simply purchasing Swift’s original label, Big Machine Records, which she had already left in favor of the Universal Music Group–owned Republic Records, which released 2019’s Lover and all of her subsequent albums. 

After going public about the sale, Swift claimed that she had previously asked Big Machine Records founder Scott Borchetta to let her buy her master recordings from the label, but she claimed he would only allow her to do so on wildly unfavorable terms.

According to the singer–songwriter, Borchetta said she would have to stay with the label and release one new album with it in exchange for the rights to one album at a time, starting with her earliest recordings.

The arrangement would have slowed her ability to consolidate her master recordings, stretching the process across years, if not decades, depending on how prolific Swift could be, and would have left any new albums she recorded under the agreement in Big Machine Records’ control. 

Borchetta subsequently claimed that Swift had turned down an offer to buy back her masters, though he didn’t clarify if the offer was the same one that she had described.

Braun later sold the recordings to the private equity company Shamrock Holdings in 2020, on the stipulation that he continue to profit from them.

The 28-year-old actress launched her newest line of SYRN undergarments on Thursday as she posted an Instagram Story 

The actress also posted a picture of panties with a different saying

Fans on X felt like this was Sweeney’s way of taking aim at Swift by taking credit for a phrase that the singer popularized in recent years

In order to take back control of her music – and to maximize her profit on it – Swift launched a series of rerecorded albums, starting with her second, Fearless.

The albums, which were subtitled ‘Taylor’s Version,’ were largely note-for-note recreations of her original versions, also included copious bonus tracks and new recordings of tunes left off the original releases.

She urged her fans to purchase and stream the new versions of her music, rather than the original recordings, as she owned the masters for the ‘Taylor’s Version’ series.

But after releasing blockbuster versions of four of her first six albums, Fearless, Speak Now, Red and 1989, Swift revealed in May 2025 that she had come to a deal with Shamrock – which she described as fair – to buy back her master recordings.

Swift released an emotional statement confirming the purchase, happily declaring: ‘All of the music I’ve ever made now belongs to me… To say this is my greatest dream come true is actually being pretty reserved about it.’

The singer later revealed that she had completed rerecording her self-titled debut, but she was uncertain about releasing it. 

However, she had only completed a fraction of her Reputation recordings, and the project may never see the light of day now that the original master recordings are generating profit for her. 

Meanwhile, Sweeney and Braun’s love story began in June last year as they initially crossed paths when they were spotted mingling at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s wedding functions in Venice over the summer.

Braun’s feud with Swift erupted in 2019, when he purchased the master recordings to her first six studio albums, including her self-titled debut, Fearless, Speak Now, her crossover mega-hit Red, and her first two full-blown pop albums, 1989 and Reputation

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It came only months after it was revealed that Sweeney ended her engagement to Jonathan Davino in March last year.

Sources later told Page Six that Braun had been ‘obsessed’ with the star after their meeting and began ‘pursuing’ her following the wedding.

That same month, it was reported that the two stars ‘are casually dating,’ with an insider telling TMZ, ‘Sydney has just ended a relationship and she’s doing what women in their 20s do – she’s dating.’

During a recent interview with Cosmopolitan published late last month, Sweeney opened up about navigating her love life in the spotlight. 

‘I was in a relationship for a very long time, for seven and a half years, and I never talked about it,’ she said, referencing her past relationship with Davino. 

‘I was very private. No one would ever see us. I think it’s important to have some things for myself. I understand that I’m a public person, but I’m still in my 20s.’ 

Meanwhile, Sweeney and Braun’s love story began June last year as they initially crossed paths when they were spotted mingling at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s wedding functions in Venice over the summer

The couple have kept a relatively low profile since their relationship began but have become more public recently. Above, in New York in October

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Their relationship came only months after it was revealed that Sweeney ended her engagement to Jonathan Davino in March last year. Above, the couple in LA in 2018

The star further explained that she was still ‘figuring out love, and it’s hard to do that with millions of people who have their own opinions of what that looks like.’ 

She added that she has a desire to ‘experience things’ before noting that ‘it’s hard deciding that I want to experience love in the public eye. I’m just navigating it all.’ 

Sweeney also described her type of man while talking to the outlet and said, ‘Athletic and outgoing and funny. 

‘I’m a sporty girl, so someone needs to be able to climb a mountain with me, go skydiving with me. And someone who loves their family. I love myself a man.’

Vernard Murray, 26, was stabbed twice in Cheetham Hill on 23 October last year, moments after a dramatic car crash, as Lee Williams was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years

A teenage killer has been sentenced to life imprisonment, alongside two others jailed for manslaughter, following the fatal stabbing of a young father in a street ‘revenge’ attack.

Vernard Murray, 26, lost his life after being knifed twice in Cheetham Hill on October 23 last year, mere moments following a dramatic vehicle collision.

In the wake of the incident, one of the teenagers was filmed performing a ‘stabbing gesture’ before summoning an Uber. A BMW involved in the killing was subsequently set alight after another youth was heard during a phone conversation saying: “Yo, can you do that mission for me? Burn it. The car.”

Lee Williams, 19, (11/08/2006); John Harte, 19, (08/01/2007); and Riley McDermott, 18, (16/03/2008); all pleaded not guilty to murder. After a four-week trial at Manchester Crown Court, the jury unanimously found Williams guilty of murder, while Harte and McDermott were found guilty of manslaughter, reports the Manchester Evening News.

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During Friday’s sentencing hearing (July 17), Williams was handed a life sentence with a minimum tariff of 21 years and 74 days. McDermott received eight years detention in a young offenders institution while Harte was given six years.

Passing sentence, Mr Justice Andrew Baker stated: “This was a group attack, with planning and premeditation. You were all motivated by revenge.”

The court was told that at approximately 2.20pm on October 23 last year, a vehicle was heard travelling at high speed before a loud impact was heard on Hambridge Close, Cheetham Hill. CCTV footage shown to the court revealed Williams and McDermott leaping from a hired silver BMW that had pursued a silver Ford Focus moments before.

As the BMW obstructed the path of the Focus, driven by Mr Murray, both accused (clad in black, wearing balaclavas and each wielding a knife) were observed rushing to opposite sides of the vehicle.

Mr Murray ‘managed to drive’ his vehicle away from Hambridge Close, but the two teenagers returned to the BMW, which then raced after him into Manswood Drive.

“There was a further collision and a dramatic one, causing the Ford Focus to flip over onto its roof,” prosecutor David Temkin KC told the court.

The court was informed that Mr Murray sustained his first stab wound to the upper chest from Williams while still trapped inside the overturned vehicle before he fled, pursued by both Williams and McDermott.

He was chased into an alleyway where he suffered a second stab wound to the buttocks. The court heard later during the trial that Williams was responsible for a second knife wound.

After successfully scaling a fence, Mr Murray collapsed on a patio behind a property on Cardinal Street, where he had hammered on the windows seeking assistance. He was transported to hospital where he underwent emergency surgery, but tragically was pronounced dead.

Both Williams and McDermott had fled the scene, returning to the BMW where Harte was said to be front passenger. The vehicle was being driven by a fourth male who has never been identified.

The BMW was abandoned on Modbury Walk before the trio fled together. The fourth individual had departed from the group earlier and evaded capture.

McDermott subsequently requested an Uber, after they were filmed on CCTV seemingly discussing the incident.

“Footage shows a clear gesture of celebration and congratulation between McDermott and Williams, who performed a fist bump,” said Mr Temkin. “Seven seconds later, Williams demonstrated his stabbing movement. It is likely he was re-enacting one of the fatal stabbings.”

They returned to Williams’ residence where Harte was recorded on Ring doorbell footage making a phone call, telling an unknown person: “Yo, can you do that mission for me? Burn it. The car.”

“This was Harte giving the green light,” the prosecutor said. Less than two hours afterwards, the BMW was torched, the court was told.

Both Williams and McDermott then switched their clothing, with Williams accepting he had put his in the washing machine.

Upon his arrest the next day, he ‘lied to officers’, stating he had ‘been in his gaff all day’.

In a victim personal statement read to the court, Mr Murray’s father Patrick Murray said: “He wasn’t just my child, he was my pride, my hope for the future and a huge part of who I am.

“He had his whole life ahead of him. He had hopes and dreams and people who loved him.

“I am left wondering how people can be so callous to attack another person with a knife. I wonder what he was thinking when he ran as fast as he could after already being stabbed. How much pain did he endure? The silence he has left behind is unbearable.

“I just think of what he has missed and the life he should have had. To the people responsible – your actions didn’t just take one life. They have destroyed mine.”

Mr Murray’s mum, Nicola Costello, said: “Those responsible are given numbers to serve sentences, while I am left with a cemetery plot to visit and a lifetime of grief. I find myself asking where the justice is in this. In many ways, it feels as though I am serving a sentence alongside them, carrying the pain and consequences of their actions every day.”

His partner, Tynne Connolly, said: “Although the court will sentence those responsible today, my son and I will continue serving our own life sentence of grief.

“We will wake up every day knowing that Vernard is never coming home. Our son will grow up with memories instead of a father, and I will spend the rest of my life trying to fill a space that can never be filled.”

For Williams, John Harrison KC said he did not dispute that the level of force used was ‘severe’. “There was a plan to inflict harm, it seems that Lee Williams went beyond that,” he said.

Richard Littler KC, for McDermott, said: “It’s quite clear Riley McDermott is maturing and understands the impact of his actions. It’s quite clear he demonstrates true remorse. He accepts full responsibility for his actions, he will forever regret what happened.”

Meanwhile, Stephen Moses KC, appearing for Harte, argued there was an ‘intent to scare and chase, but not to hurt anyone’. “He does not leave the car, and he is not armed with a knife. He is a young man of hitherto good character,” he told the court.

Mr Justice Baker remarked: “Vernard Murray was not a saint. The jury heard about his criminal record. The evidence indicates he was dealing drugs on October 23, shortly before the BMW moved in for the attack. We should not pretend that side of him did not exist.

“But that does not provide a beginning of any kind of excuse for what happened. It does not reduce the devastation his loss has brought to those who cared and loved him.

“The story you gave to the jury was you intended to scare Vernard Murray away – it’s obvious nonsense.”

Following the hearing, Detective Chief Inspector Andy Naismith from GMP’s Major Incident Team commented: “Today’s sentencing reflects the devastating consequences of a shocking attack that claimed the life of Vernard Murray.

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“This was a truly shocking case, occurring in a residential area, with fatal consequences. The violence inflicted upon him was horrific, and those actions have left a family grieving their loved one forever.

“No sentence can undo the loss they have experienced, but we hope today’s outcome can provide them with some measure of justice and closure.

“I would also like to thank the officers and staff whose dedication and professionalism helped us identify the offenders and piece together significant amounts of evidence to secure these convictions.

“Violence of this nature has no place in our communities. This case demonstrates our unwavering commitment to pursuing those responsible for serious violent crimes and bringing them before the courts.”

Apricot upside-down cake is one of my favourite summer desserts. This version is sweetened further by the cornmeal and has a tangy, moist crumb because of the buttermilk. If you can’t find buttermilk, use plain kefir.

Requires 10 minutes cooling time