July 2, 2025
The Brooklyn rapper filed a suit accusing the lawyer of extortion, defamation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
A Los Angeles judge has dismissed Jay-Z’s extortion lawsuit against Texas attorney Tony Buzbee.
According to The New York Times, Jay-Z filed legal paperwork in November against Buzbee, accusing the lawyer of extortion, defamation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress after a client of Buzbee said the rapper and Diddy sexually assaulted her when she was underage in New York City in 2000.
The lawsuit was eventually withdrawn by Buzbee after discrepancies in the woman’s recollection of the alleged incident. Jay-Z and Diddy had both vehemently denied the accusation.
The extortion lawsuit was initially filed under a John Doe alias shortly before the accusation against the rapper was revealed. Buzbee took to social media to gloat about the dismissal of what he labeled a “completely meritless” lawsuit.
Yet another huge win!! John Doe’s case against me and The Buzbee Law Firm alleging extortion and defamation was thrown out by the court. As I said when it was filed, the case was completely meritless. We will now seek attorneys’ fees against John Doe for bringing the legally…
— Tony Buzbee (@TonyBuzbee2) July 1, 2025
In his ruling, Judge Mark H. Epstein of the Superior Court in Los Angeles wrote that he had “come out on the side of dismissing the action, although the court is not wholly satisfied that this is the outcome that best serves the legislative and constitutional doctrines.”
“This court is only the first stop,” he added. “It will be for the Court of Appeal to determine whether the court got it right or wrong, and whether the suit ought to go forward or ought to end. Stay tuned.”
Jay-Z’s attorney, Alex Spiro, said he will appeal the decision.
“What does it say about our justice system if someone can knowingly bring about completely false claims of the most heinous nature imaginable against an innocent individual and get away with it on a technicality?” Spiro said in a written statement.
Buzbee said he is looking to be reimbursed for attorney’s fees.
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