Jay-Z seeks rehearing in Buzbee lawsuit after accuser recants
Jay-Z has asked a California appeals court to reconsider its refusal to revive his extortion and defamation lawsuit against lawyer Tony Buzbee.
The rapper, whose legal name is Shawn Carter, filed a petition for rehearing, a formal request asking judges to look at a ruling again. The request cites a new sworn declaration in which his former accuser says her sexual assault allegations against him were false. Rolling Stone
Carter first brought the claims in Los Angeles County Superior Court two years ago. The suit alleged extortion, meaning improper pressure to obtain something, and defamation, meaning false statements that cause harm. A lower court dismissed the claims last year.
A California appeals court then rejected his bid to restore the case. It found that Buzbee’s demand letter, a formal letter sent before a lawsuit, was protected activity. Rolling Stone
The new filing centres on an 11-page declaration signed in Alabama by the woman previously identified in court papers as Jane Doe. In it, she recants the assault allegations. She said she never met or spoke to Carter.
That declaration was lodged in Manhattan federal court. It forms part of a separate civil case brought by Carter for malicious prosecution, a claim that a prior lawsuit was pursued without proper basis.
In the declaration, Doe said she disclosed certain mental health conditions to one of her lawyers before Buzbee’s Texas-based firm publicly named Jay-Z in her lawsuit in December 2024. She said she later told her lawyers she had doubts about her claims. A lawyer then travelled to Alabama to have her sign dismissal papers.
She dropped the rape lawsuit on 14 February 2025. The dismissal was with prejudice, which means the claims cannot be refiled. Doe said the agreement included a promise that neither Carter nor his agents would contact her.
She said she never received any threat from Carter or anyone acting for him. She also said she was never told about a possible settlement of the New York lawsuit and did not authorise one.
Buzbee is a Houston-based attorney. Courthouse News The California dispute and the Manhattan case remain on separate tracks. Carter is now asking the California court to set aside its earlier refusal and reinstate his claims against Buzbee and the firm in light of the recantation.
