Jay-Z’s federal lawsuit against attorney Tony Buzbee, who represented a Jane Doe in a since-withdrawn sexual assault suit against the Roc Nation founder, will proceed, albeit in a different state.
In June of 2025, Buzbee filed a motion to dismiss the case, citing jurisdictional issues: Hov filed the case in Alabama, where Jane Doe lives. Buzbee argued it had no connection to that state, and should have instead been filed in New York, where Jane Doe had claimed her alleged assault took place.
In a decision filed on Tuesday (Mar. 31), and seen by Complex, Judge Terry Moorer denied Buzbee’s motion to dismiss. Relatedly, he moved the case from Alabama to New York, meaning that a New York judge will make decisions on all future matters in the case — including other pending motions to have the case dismissed.
This change of venue will also determine whether the Jane Doe who accused Hov of rape, who later dismissed her case with prejudice, will be able to remain anonymous. She is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit against Buzbee.
“In the interest of justice, by separate order, the case will be transferred to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York,” the legal documents read. “The motions to dismiss filed by all defendants… and the motions to proceed using a pseudonym remain pending for resolution by the gaining court.”
Complex has reached out to Buzbee for comment on the latest updates.
As reported by The New York Times last year, Hov filed his lawsuit against Doe, Buzbee, and attorney David Fortney following the dismissal of the sexual assault lawsuit. Jay alleged that the woman confessed that she made up the story in an attempt to receive a payout, although Buzbee argued that she stands by her allegations and the suit has “no legal merit.”
In Doe’s original case, she named Jay as a defendant in a lawsuit that also accused Sean “Diddy” Combs of sexual abuse. She alleged that the two artists raped her when she was 13 at an after-party for the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000. Her legal team withdrew her claim without a public explanation.
Jay’s legal team alleged that Buzbee “pushed” Doe to pursue legal action “with the false story against [him].” The Roc Nation founder filed a separate lawsuit against Buzbee in Los Angeles on claims of defamation and extortion in 2024, although the case was ultimately dismissed. Jay appealed the decision.
