A jury has ordered US rapper Kanye West, also known as Ye, to pay $140,000 (£104,415) to a handyman who sued him over unpaid work linked to renovations at the artist’s beachfront mansion in Malibu, California.

The verdict was delivered in a trial at the Los Angeles Superior Court after handyman Tony Saxon accused the rapper of failing to properly compensate him and dismissing him unjustly during construction work at the property.

Saxon had originally sought $1.7m (£1.267m) in damages. However, the jury on Wednesday awarded him $140,000 along with attorney and court fees.

West’s legal team argued during the trial that Saxon was an unlicensed contractor and claimed he had damaged the property, which they described as an “architectural gem.”

The court proceedings included testimony from both West and his wife, Bianca Censori, who spoke about the renovation work carried out at the oceanfront home.

Saxon first filed the lawsuit in 2023, alleging unpaid wages, unsafe working conditions and wrongful termination. He also sought compensation for medical expenses after claiming he suffered neck and back injuries while working at the residence.

According to Saxon’s testimony, West had agreed to pay him $20,000 (£14,916) per week for his work. However, he told the court he received only one payment of $20,000 and an additional $100,000 (£74,582) intended for construction costs.

Saxon also claimed that the rapper imposed unusual working demands, including allegedly telling him he could not leave the property. He further testified that West once woke him at about 03:00 local time to question why he was not working.

During the trial, jurors were shown a photograph of a small mattress placed on a concrete floor, which Saxon said he slept on while staying at the Malibu property.

The beachside mansion, purchased by West in 2021 for approximately $57m (£40.27m), became the focus of the dispute as renovation work progressed at the high-profile residence.

A 35-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after gunfire was directed at the Beverly Hills home of global pop star Rihanna, according to police in Los Angeles.

Authorities identified the suspect as Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, who is currently being held with bail set at $10.2m (£7.6m). Officers responded to reports of gunfire at the singer’s mansion in Beverly Hills at about 13:15 local time (21:15 GMT) on Sunday.

According to reports from the Los Angeles Times, the suspect allegedly fired multiple shots from a vehicle using an AR-15-style rifle toward the property.

A law enforcement source told the newspaper that Rihanna was inside the house at the time of the shooting, but fortunately no one was injured in the incident. Police have not yet confirmed a motive for the attack.

Investigators later located the suspect’s white Tesla roughly eight miles (12km) away at the Sherman Oaks Galleria shopping centre, where Ortiz was taken into custody.

Authorities said the suspect is originally from Orlando, Florida, according to reports from a Fox News affiliate in Tampa.

Rihanna, whose full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, recently welcomed her third child. In September last year, the Barbados-born singer gave birth to a daughter, Rocki, with her partner, rapper A$AP Rocky.

The couple also share two sons, Riot and RZA. They publicly revealed Rihanna’s third pregnancy during the 2025 Met Gala.

Earlier that same year, A$AP Rocky was found not guilty in a trial where he had been accused of firing a gun at a former friend. Rihanna attended court proceedings during the case and even brought the couple’s two sons with her.

The singer first rose to international fame in the early 2000s with hit songs such as Pon de Replay and Umbrella.

A nine-time Grammy Awards winner, Rihanna recently marked 20 years since the release of her debut album. Beyond music, she has built a successful business empire, including the cosmetics brand Fenty Beauty and a popular lingerie line.

According to Forbes, the 37-year-old star’s net worth is estimated to exceed $1bn, making her one of the wealthiest entertainers in the world.

Britney Spears has been arrested in California on suspicion of driving under the influence.

The pop star was taken into custody by the California Highway Patrol at around 21:30 PT (05:30 GMT) on Wednesday. Authorities later released her in the early hours of Thursday morning. She is expected to appear in Ventura County Superior Court on 4 May.

Officials from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office in Southern California confirmed the news.

A representative for Spears described the incident as regrettable and said the singer intends to take responsibility and cooperate with the legal process.

They added that Spears plans to comply with the law and hopes the situation can mark the beginning of positive changes in her life.

“Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law and hopefully this can be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life,” the statement said. “Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time.”

The representative also noted that Spears will be spending time with her sons while her family and close supporters work on a plan aimed at supporting her well-being.

News of the arrest coincided with the apparent deletion of Spears’ Instagram account on Thursday.

Spears remains one of the most successful figures in modern pop music. Her career includes major hits such as …Baby One More Time, Toxic, Everytime, Gimme More, Womanizer, and Stronger.

In January 2024, Spears said she would “never return to the music industry.” Her most recent release was a 2022 collaboration with Elton John.

However, in a social media post earlier this year that was later deleted, Spears hinted that while she did not plan to perform again in the United States, she hoped to return to live shows in the United Kingdom and Australia.

Spears’ life has been closely followed by the public, particularly after her 13-year conservatorship ended in 2021. The legal arrangement had placed control of her finances and many personal decisions under the authority of her father.

In 2023, the singer published her memoir, The Woman in Me, where she reflected on her rise to fame and described the challenges she faced while living under the conservatorship.

Her former husband, Kevin Federline, also released a memoir titled You Thought You Knew at the end of 2025, offering his own perspective on their relationship and the events surrounding Spears’ life in the public spotlight.