Jay-Z Lawsuit for Defamation & Extortion Towards Tony Buzbee Dismissed

A choose has struck down Jay-Z’s extortion and defamation lawsuit towards Tony Buzbee, the non-public harm lawyer who filed stunning rape allegations towards the rap icon, although the duo’s bitter authorized battle is much from over.

The order from Monday (June 30) tosses the claims introduced by Jay-Z (Shawn Carter) in Los Angeles court docket towards Buzbee, who alleged in a now-dropped civil lawsuit that the rapper and Sean “Diddy” Combs raped an nameless 13-year-old lady collectively at an after-party following the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards.

Jay-Z vehemently denied these allegations and sued Buzbee for extortion and defamation final fall. There has since been prolonged litigation over whether or not to strike Jay-Z’s lawsuit underneath California’s anti-SLAPP statute, which permits for the fast dismissal of claims that threaten constitutionally protected speech.

Decide Mark H. Epstein repeatedly flip-flopped over what to do with Buzbee’s anti-SLAPP movement, saying in varied tentative orders that he was inclined to maintain the lawsuit a minimum of partially alive. He has now modified his thoughts, and Monday’s remaining choice strikes the claims solely.

The choose says Jay-Z’s extortion claims should fail as a result of Buzbee was inside his rights as a lawyer to demand a settlement fee from the rapper earlier than suing him for rape final yr.

“Promoting silence for cash within the civil context shouldn’t be extortion; it’s a settlement with a non-disclosure aspect,” writes Decide Epstein.  

Jay-Z’s defamation claims, which take challenge with Buzbee’s statements to the press and social media exercise, are a more in-depth name. Decide Epstein has decided that these claims should be dismissed too as a result of they don’t meet the so-called “precise malice” normal; that’s, Jay-Z has not proven that Buzbee knowingly lied in regards to the rape accusations.

Decide Epstein says the one proof that Jay-Z submitted on this level is inadmissible: declarations from non-public investigators who declare they spoke to the nameless rape accuser, referred to as Jane Doe; and that she mentioned Jay-Z was not concerned in her assault however that Buzbee pressured her to call the rapper.

Buzbee and Doe have each denied the reality of those statements, saying the sufferer was scared and intimidated by non-public investigators who confirmed up at her home. Regardless, Monday’s order deems this new proof can’t be thought of as a result of authorized rumour rule.

Nonetheless, Decide Epstein’s order successfully invitations Jay-Z to enchantment the admissibility choice by saying that if this proof had been admissible, the scenario would “change dramatically.”

“Then there could be some proof not solely that Carter had nothing to do with any sexual assault on Doe, however that Buzbee knew it within the sense that (in line with Doe) it was Buzbee that saved urgent to get Doe to implicate Carter,” writes Decide Epstein. “That stress, coupled with the assertion by Buzbee that he had investigated the claims, could be sufficient to help an inference of precise malice.”

Decide Epstein says himself that he’s undecided whether or not he reached the proper conclusion, noting on the finish of his 65-page order that it’s “painfully apparent that the court docket is combating this movement.” If Jay-Z’s efforts to enchantment the admissibility choice had been profitable, he may get his defamation claims reinstated.

“The court docket shouldn’t be wholly glad that that is the end result that finest serves the legislative and constitutional doctrines,” writes Decide Epstein. “It is going to be for the Court docket of Enchantment to find out whether or not the court docket acquired it proper or unsuitable, and whether or not the swimsuit must go ahead or ought to finish. Keep tuned.”

In a press release shared with Billboard on Tuesday (July 1), Jay-Z’s lawyer Alex Spiro says he’ll take Decide Epstein up on his suggestion for an enchantment.

“We’re stunned and dissatisfied by this ruling which activates the misapplication of California legislation on the admissibility of the investigators’ statements,” says Spiro. “What does it say about our justice system if somebody can knowingly result in fully false claims of essentially the most heinous nature possible towards an harmless particular person and get away with it on a technicality? We plan to enchantment this case instantly.”

Buzbee, in the meantime, is celebrating Monday’s choice.

“The court docket rightly dismissed the case as a result of it has no advantage,” writes Buzbee in a Tuesday e-mail to Billboard. “Buzbee wins once more.”

Along with the upcoming enchantment of Monday’s ruling, Jay-Z remains to be pursuing a malicious prosecution lawsuit towards each Buzbee and Doe in Alabama federal court docket. Buzbee additionally has his own ongoing litigation accusing Jay-Z’s firm Roc Nation of encouraging and even bribing former shoppers to sue the lawyer for malpractice.