Jay-Z is making another legal push in his fight against Texas attorney Tony Buzbee. The rapper’s legal team filed a petition with a California appeals court to reconsider its recent decision dismissing his extortion and defamation lawsuit against the high-profile lawyer whose former client just withdrew her rape allegations against him.
In his filing, Jay-Z‘s legal team argues that the woman’s recent recantation represents “explosive new evidence” that should allow his defamation and extortion claims to move forward. According to Rolling Stone, the petition contends that this development changes the calculus of the case entirely.
The original lawsuit was dismissed after the accuser said she wanted to drop her case to protect herself from harassment and privacy violations. But her recent recantation tells a different story. According to her new attorney, she was a victim of sexual assault but misidentified Carter entirely. The implication in Jay’s filing: Buzbee may have pushed for dismissal to protect his own legal interests, not his client’s wellbeing.
Jay-Z’s legal team is asking the court for limited discovery on remand, with the possibility of proceeding to trial if evidence supports his claims.
The woman’s new counsel, James Blair Newman Jr., released a statement making her position unambiguous: “Our client maintains that she was a victim of sexual assault, but she was entirely mistaken in her allegations identifying Mr. Carter, and those allegations were false. Mr. Carter did not rape her, sexually assault her, engage in any inappropriate conduct towards her, and she has never met him. She sincerely and unconditionally apologizes to Mr. Carter and his family.”
Buzbee has not responded to requests for comment on the latest court filing.
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