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On Wednesday, March 11, the jury handed down a verdict finding Ye liable for damages related to injuries alleged by Tony Saxon – a project manager who also performed full-time security duties during construction on the waterfront property in 2021 and claimed various labor violations during the job – perVarietyandRolling Stone.

However, the jurors reportedly did not find that Saxon had been wrongfully terminated and decided to not award punitive damages as they did not agree that Ye acted with "malice, oppression, or fraud."

The Yeezy founder was ordered to pay Saxon $140,000, as well as compensation for Saxon's legal fees – a far cry from the $1.7 million in compensatory damages Saxon's team was seeking.

Saxon's attorney, West Coast Trial Lawyers Employment Chair Ronald Zambrano, in a statement called the result a "mixed verdict" that was "a vindication for our client."

"Ye's lawyers called [Saxon] a liar, a fraud, and a malingerer in court. His medical records, bank records, and personal family history were dissected, mocked, and vilified. Yeezy representative Milo Yiannopoulos maligned him and our firm in the press. Ye's team demanded that Tony pay them to resolve the case and issue a public apology. Most people would have folded," he said.

Born Kanye Omari West, Ye transformed himself from a college dropout in Chicago to an undisputable icon of music and fashion. But a string of controversies has the rapper facing a fallout. In October 2022, several companies, including Adidas and Balenciaga fashion house, cut ties with the star after he made antisemitic remarks.

Look back on Ye's life and career, from his marriage and divorce from Kim Kardashian to his polarizing political statements. Here, Ye and Bianca Censori attend the 67th Grammy Awards on Feb. 2, 2025, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye gestures upon arriving at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on July 11, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye hit the 2025 Grammys red carpet donning a black shirt and pants, sunglasses and a chain. Meanwhile, wife Bianca Censori wore a black fur coat that she removed to pose in a nearly nude, see-through dress as photographers captured the couple's appearance.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye and Bianca Censori attend the Marni fall/winter 2024 fashion show on Feb. 23, 2024, in Milan, Italy.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye and Bianca Censori are seen in the stands during the UEFA Champions League last 16 first leg football match Inter Milan vs Atletico Madrid at the San Siro stadium in Milan on Feb. 20, 2024.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Charlie Wilson, left, and Ye attend Wilson's Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony on Jan. 29, 2024, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye attended the premiere for "The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM," a documentary by conservative political commentator Candace Owens, on Oct. 12, 2022.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> during an appearance on the “Drink Champs” podcast a few days after the event found the rapper making controversial statements on the manner of Floyd's death." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ye and his children Saint West, Chicago West and Psalm West, who he shares with ex Kim Kardashian, attended the Balenciaga womenswear spring/summer 2023 show at Paris Fashion Week on Oct. 2, 2022.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> gave an impassioned speech about Diddy, who he called his "brother."" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> were rumored to be romantically linked at the time." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> then-girlfriend Julia Fox, an actress and model, attended the Kenzo Fall/Winter 2022/2023 show during Paris Fashion Week on Jan. 23, 2022." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> temporarily moved into the venue following the event while he finished work on his 10th studio album "Donda," named after his late mother Donda West." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Easter Sunday service during the 2019 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival on April 21, 2019." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "feel like Superman." Trump called him "a smart cookie."" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

See Kanye West, Ye, the polarizing rapper, fashion mogul

Born Kanye Omari West, Ye transformed himself from a college dropout in Chicago to an undisputable icon of music and fashion. But a string of controversies has the rapper facing a fallout. In October 2022, several companies, including Adidas and Balenciaga fashion house,cut ties with the starafter he made antisemitic remarks.Look back on Ye's life and career, from his marriage and divorce from Kim Kardashian to his polarizing political statements. Here, Ye and Bianca Censori attend the 67th Grammy Awards on Feb. 2, 2025, in Los Angeles.

"In true David-vs.-Goliath fashion, Mr. Saxon stood firm against one of the biggest celebrities in the world, with the truth on his side."

Attorney Neama Rahmani, West Coast Trial Lawyers president, admitted the $140,000 "award was less than we asked for" but noted that "the California Labor Code allows us to recover our attorney's fees and costs" and, as a result, "the judgment against Ye should be more than $1 million."

In his lawsuit against Ye, Saxon accused the rapper, as well as 10 anonymous "Doe" defendants, of disability discrimination, violations of multiple labor codes, unpaid wages and reimbursements, and wrongful retaliatory termination.

Around November 2021, Saxon allegedly injured his back "severely" while working on the project. Although he reported the injury to Ye and requested time off to rest, Saxon said the Yeezy founder ignored his request. The former employee also detailed the "dangerous working conditions" he and his coworkers navigated, including sleeping arrangements located near open insulation and a lack of safety equipment for demolition work.

Saxon alleged he shared his complaints about the unsafe working environment with Ye on "numerous occasions," but the rapper allegedly took no action.

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'Newfound, much-needed clarity':Ye apologizes, says he's not 'an antisemite'

Ye's team says accuser received 'only a small fraction of what his lawyers demanded'

In a statement shared with USA TODAY, Yeezy spokesperson Milo Yiannopoulos characterized the verdict as the jury rejecting "almost all of [Saxon's] claims."

"Although the jury found that Saxon qualified as an employee for certain purposes, they awarded no damages for lost wages, overtime, waiting-time penalties, retaliation, punitive damages, or any other statutory penalties," the statement read. "The only damages awarded were $140,000 related to Saxon's claim that he was injured while working on the property."

He also foreshadowed future legal action, writing, "The jury also found that Saxon acted in the capacity of a contractor and did not qualify for the employee exception under California's contractor licensing statutes. Under California law, an unlicensed contractor cannot recover compensation for work requiring a license

"Based on those findings, we believe the damages award is legally barred and will be seeking post-trial relief from the court."

Catch up on the case:Why Ye went to trial over his gutted $57 million Malibu mansion

Per Yiannopoulos, Ye's team will move forward now with their case against Saxon and his legal team.

"This concludes the first of two lawsuits. We now proceed to the larger and more consequential case: Our action against Saxon and his attorneys, Ron Zambrano and West Coast Trial Lawyers, arising from their recording and publicizing of an unlawful mechanic's lien on Ye's Malibu property," the statement said. "That lien clouded the home's title and interfered with its sale, destroying substantial value at the time of sale."

"The first lawsuit ended with Saxon recovering only a small fraction of what his lawyers demanded," he concluded. "The second lawsuit will address the far more serious misconduct surrounding the lien and the damages it caused."

Contributing: Edward Segarra, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Kanye West ordered to pay accuser in Malibu mansion lawsuit

During Tuesday's episode of "The Breakfast Club," Curtis — who admitted she was ready to have an "open conversation" about the incident — was challenged by hosts Charlamagne tha God and DJ Envy over her language.

"Do you have boys? Boys talk about farts all the time," Curtis, who admitted to often using the terms "fart digger" and "fart knocker," said. "OK, again, I can't swear onmy show. OK, so yes, I've made up these crazy words."

Hgtv Cancels Nicole Curtis' 'Rehab Addict' After Star Was Caught Using Racial Slur On Set

"I don't have a rhyme or reason of the words that I make up. I say nonsense stuff all the time," she continued. "I'm off the cuff. I'm not scripted."

The co-hosts called Curtis out for how "naturally" the slur came out of her mouth and questioned why she chose to come on "a Black radio show" and try to explain herself.

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"You're right. I came here to have an open conversation and I didn't have to. … I didn't come on here to prove myself."

Curtis' remarks ignited a wave of reactions on social media.

Man With Tourette Syndrome 'Deeply Mortified' After Shouting Racial Slur At Awards Show

"I think making dumb--- excuses for why you said the N-word is worse than actually saying the N-word. Just apologize and move on," one user wrote on X.

"She's basically saying she's not responsible for the words that she says which isa cop-outshe knows that's a word you don't use ever," another wrote.

However, others came to Curtis' defense, praising her for taking accountability for her actions.

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"I think she's brave for doing this actually, digging a hole and knowing it'll make the issue more visible shows that she's willing to be dragged and not forgiven," one user wrote on X. "Bold enough to face more consequences."

A representative for Curtis did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

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In a video obtained byRadar Onlinelast month, Curtis is heard blurting out the N-word while on set. The outlet released the clip the same day the series was expected to return for its ninth season.

In a statement shared with Fox News Digital at the time, a representative for HGTV confirmed the show had been removed from all HGTV platforms.

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"HGTV was recently made aware of an offensive racial comment made during the filming of Rehab Addict. Not only is language like this hurtful and disappointing to our viewers, partners, and employees — it does not align with the values of HGTV. Accordingly, we have removed the series from all HGTV platforms. We remain dedicated to fostering a culture of respect and inclusion across our content and our workplace."

Shortly after, Curtis apologized for her actions in a statement toTmz.

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"Regarding HGTV, I'm grateful for the 15-year journey we've shared," she wrote in a message to TMZ, which she posted to her Instagram Stories. "It's been a meaningful chapter, but my focus isn't on my career. My focus, at this moment is rightfully on my relationships, and my community — the people who truly know my character and where my heart is."

"I want to be clear: the word in question is wrong and not part of my vocabulary and never has been, and I apologize to everyone," she added. "As discussed, I'm a mom and I was doing mom things all day and unplugged. I realize my shows were airing, but my family is my priority and I'm just catching up to all this now."

Original article source:Canceled HGTV host Nicole Curtis faces social media storm after attempting to explain racial slur

The company, Stryker, which is headquartered in Michigan, produces a range of medical equipment and technology.

Historically, Iran has conducted some of the most infamous "wiper" cyberattacks on national enemies, aiming to simply erase all data on computers' networks. Victims includeSaudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia's national oil company, in 2012, and theSands Casino in 2014.

Since the war started, some established hacker groups sympathetic to Iranian leadership have claimed minor attacks, but most have been relegated to briefly altering the appearance of a website, and none have appeared to have had major impact. Some tech and cybersecurity companies, including Google, and the email cybersecurity company Proofpoint have told NBC News that they have largely seen Iran's hackers conducting espionage related to the war.

But that appears to have changed Wednesday, with what appears to have been a different type of attack that also deleted information from devices. A Stryker employee, who requested to not be identified because they are not authorized to speak for the company, said that employee's work-issued phones stopped working, grinding work and communications with colleagues to a standstill.

Handala Team has claimed responsibility for the Stryker hack in statements on its Telegram and X accounts. The group routinely brags about its exploits on the social media platforms, which have in recent days taken down previous versions of their accounts.

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Specifics of how the hack was conducted are not clear. But public evidence of the hack points to the likelihood that hackers gained access to the company's Microsoft Intune account, which the employee confirmed Stryker uses. From there, Handala appears to have wiped some employees' devices back to factory settings, an expert said.

"They seem to have obtained access to the Microsoft Intune management console. This is a solution for managing corporate devices," said Rafe Pilling, the director of threat intelligence at the cybersecurity company Sophos, which has tied Handala to Iran's Intelligence Ministry.

"One of the features is the ability to remotely wipe a device if it's lost/stolen etc. Looks like they triggered that for some or all of the enrolled devices," he said.

Microsoft's websitedescribes the remote wipe feature as "commonly used when a device needs to be retired, repurposed, reset for troubleshooting, or securely erased if lost or stolen."

In a statement on its website Wednesday, Stryker said that the disruption was due to a cyberattack but that its own systems were not directly hacked and that ransomware — a common type of cybercrime that can also significantly disrupt companies' networks — was not a factor.

"Stryker is experiencing a global network disruption to our Microsoft environment as a result of a cyber attack. We have no indication of ransomware or malware and believe the incident is contained," the statement said.

The company did not respond to a request for further details. Microsoft did not respond to a request for comment.

The 12-foot statue was unveiled by The Secret Handshake group, a small organization of citizens using art and humor to prompt political discourse, on Tuesday, March 10, with a backdrop of the U.S. Capitol. The partially gold spray-painted art installation shows Epstein standing at the bow of a ship with his arms stretched out, with the president behind him holding his wrists.

The statue depicts the men in the iconic scene from the film where lovers Jack and Rose embrace on the bow of the ship at sunset.

The artwork is titled "The King of the World," a reference to that scene in which Jack, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, shouts: "I'm king of the world."

A statue depicting President Donald Trump and deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein embracing in the iconic "Titanic" pose by Jack and Rose, two of the movie's characters, appeared on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The artwork is titled "The King of the World," a reference to the scene in which Jack, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, shouts: "I'm king of the world."

The 12-foot statue was unveiled in front of the U.S. Capitol by The Secret Handshake group, a small organization of citizens using art and humor to prompt political discourse. The same group was also responsible for the statue of Trump and Epstein holding hands titled "Best Friends Forever" that appeared on the National Mall in September.

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Trump–Epstein statue recreates iconic Titanic scene of Jack and Rose

Astatuedepicting President Donald Trump and deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein embracing in the iconic "Titanic" pose by Jack and Rose, two of the movie's characters, appeared on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The artwork is titled "The King of the World," a reference to the scene in which Jack, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, shouts: "I'm king of the world."The 12-foot statue was unveiled in front of the U.S. Capitol by The Secret Handshake group, a small organization of citizens using art and humor to prompt political discourse. The same group was also responsible for the statue of Trump and Epstein holding hands titled "Best Friends Forever" that appeared on the National Mall in September.

"The tragic love story between Jack and Rose was built on luxurious travel, raucous parties and secret nude sketches," a plaque on the side of the statue states. "This monument honors the bond between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, a friendship seemingly built on luxurious travel, raucous parties, and secret nude sketches."

The statue is flanked by 10 giant banners with a photo of Trump and Epstein with the words, "Make America Safe Again." The banners also bear the insignia of the Justice Department, though the word "Justice" has been blanked out.

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More:See Trump banners adorn DOJ headquarters, more federal buildings

A USA TODAY reporter observed tourists and residents observing the statue on Tuesday, March 10. Many people stopped through their runs or on their commutes home to capture the scene with their phones.See it in the video at the top of the story.

It's not clear how long the statue will remain there. The Secret Handshake told USA TODAY in an email it hopes the statue will remain in place for several more days, but did not provide more information.

White House criticizes statue

Trump has previously said that he did not know of Epstein's criminal behavior.

In a statement to USA TODAY, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson condemned the display, asking when "wealthy Democrat donors" will create sculptures of Democrats "who continued to solicit money and meetings from Epstein after he was convicted as a sex offender."

Previous Trump and Epstein statue

The organization is also responsible for a Trump-Epstein friendship statue that depicted the two billionaires holding hands and prancing, which appeared on the National Mall in September, also known as Friendship Month.

Permits for installations on the National Mall are approved by the National Park Service. USA TODAY has emailed the agency for additional information.

Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Statue of Trump, Epstein as Jack, Rose from 'Titanic' appears in DC