Bianca Censori Appears Composed in Court Supporting Kanye, Making Lawyers Nervous, Observer Says

Bianca Censori walked into a downtown Los Angeles courtroom on Thursday dressed nothing like the woman the internet has spent two years scrutinising. Gone were the sheer bodysuits and barely-there outfits. In their place: a long black satin skirt, a buttoned-up black cardigan, glasses, her hair slicked back into a tight bun.

The 31-year-old then spent the entire day on the witness stand testifying on behalf of her husband, Kanye West, in a civil trial over the gutting of his $57 million (£46 million) Malibu mansion, TMZ reported.

She did not speak to reporters on her way in.

The subdued look came after Judge Brock T. Hammond laid down a warning ahead of the trial. He told all parties in February they 'must comply with the basic dress code of the court,' banning sunglasses, hats and any 'drama' from proceedings, according to The Mirror.

One-Word Answers And A Smile For The Jury

Inside the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, Censori smiled at the jury as she took her seat. She answered most questions with single-word replies, Rolling Stone reported. Courtroom sketch artist Mona Shafer Edwards drew her looking focused and serious throughout.

Social media accounts that posted footage from outside the courthouse described Censori as composed, with some claiming her demeanour unsettled the plaintiff's legal team. That characterisation circulated on X and Instagram but could not be independently verified.

The trial centres on Tony Saxon, a former project manager suing West for more than $1 million (£810,000). Saxon alleges he was hired in 2021 to oversee renovations at the beachfront property, known as the Ando House. He says West promised him $20,000 (£16,200) per week but only ever paid him once, and fired him after roughly seven weeks for raising safety concerns, ABC7 reported.

Censori Confirmed Saxon Was Fired. The Defence Said He Quit.

Censori told the court she holds degrees in architecture and served as lead architect on the Malibu project in 2021, working on it briefly before Saxon came on board.

She testified that she asked Saxon whether he held a contractor's licence and that he told her he did, Courthouse News reported. West's legal team argues Saxon was unlicensed, which under California law could bar him from suing for unpaid wages. Saxon has maintained he was always upfront about not having one.

She also confirmed Saxon was fired. That directly contradicts the defence's claim he walked off the job. 'He got fired,' Censori said. 'It wasn't unusual that he would be fired.' Asked why, she replied: 'Some people gelled with his personality and some people didn't.'

She added that people in West's circle are prone to overselling themselves. 'People will say yes to him just so they can stay in his orbit, for opportunities.'

Text Messages Told A Different Story

Text messages shown in court painted a more involved picture than Censori's testimony suggested. Saxon had been texting her about his back pain and his desperation to leave the property. 'I can't live here anymore,' he wrote. 'We need security so I can leave.' Asked whether she passed those concerns to West, she said: 'It was not my business.'

Censori pushed back on testimony from other witnesses who described West's plans for the home as constantly shifting. 'I believe he used that language to refer to aesthetics,' she said of the 'off-the-grid' description. 'It was always going to be a residence.'

West's lawyers argued Saxon received $240,000 (£194,000) for less than two months of work. West denied all allegations and filed his own lawsuit against Saxon in January 2026, claiming a $1.8 million (£1.46 million) lien on the property was wrongful.

The civil trial is expected to last roughly 12 days. West is scheduled to testify on Friday. The 12-member jury needs nine votes to reach a verdict.