Jay-Z Appeals After Judge Dismisses Extortion Suit Against Tony Buzbee

Buzbee claims his legal team was "defending against a meritless case."

PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 24: Jay-Z wears a black leather jacket with Louis Vuitton monogram logo print, a white t-shirt ; Beyoncé Knowles / Beyonce wears a cowboy hat, a burgundy faux fur fluff coat on one shoulder, a blue denim shirt, during the Louis Vuitton Menswear Spring/Summer 2026 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on June 24, 2025 in Paris, France. 

AUSTIN, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 16: (L-R) Defense Attorneys Mitch Little, Tony Buzbee,and Dan Cogdell wait together ahead of former Texas State Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment trial at the Texas State Capitol on September 16, 2023 in Austin, Texas. The trial comes to a close today after a 10-day hearing over allegations that Paxton abused public office with false statements, bribery, and abusing public trust.
Edward Berthelot/Getty Images/Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Jay-Z plans to continue to fight against Tony Buzbee.

On Tuesday (June 1), it was reported that Los Angeles County Judge Mark Epstein dismissed Hov's defamation and extortion lawsuit against Buzbee, although he stated that he was not "wholly satisfied" with the decision. Since the dismissal, an appeal has been filed by Robert M. Schwartz, an attorney for Jay-Z.

Judge Epstein announced that the Court of Appeals now has authority to decide whether he was "right or wrong" regarding Jay-Z's claims that Buzbee demanded a private settlement. Another one of Jay's attorneys, Alex Spiro, has told the media that his client will appeal the ruling.

Last year, Buzbee issued a demand letter to Alex Spiro, lawyer of the Roc Nation founder, with an accusation that he and Diddy sexually assaulted a minor in 2000. In return, Jay-Z sued Buzbee with an amended suit claiming that he lost $190 million in income, credit, and loans due to the allegation.

Although Jay-Z's lawsuit may not move forward for the time being, Buzbee seeks to go after the rapper and business mogul's lawyers for "a lot" of money. Buzbee told TMZ that the lawsuit was tossed out "in a lengthy, well-reasoned opinion" but that he wants to be compensated for hiring lawyers that were "defending against a meritless case."

"We have a long history of winning. We won't be deterred in our important work," Buzbee continued.

Spiro previously called for the Court of Appeals to step in, stating that his team is "surprised and disappointed by this ruling," adding that it "turns on the misapplication of California law on the admissibility of the investigators' statements." The attorney also claimed that Buzbee "knew" that his client "had nothing to do with any sexual assault on Doe."

"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 asked.

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