Jay-Z Moves to Revive Extortion Case After Rape Accuser Completely Recants Allegations

Jay-Z is asking a California appeals court to reopen his extortion and defamation case against attorney Tony Buzbee after the woman who previously accused the rapper of rape dramatically recanted her allegations in a sworn court declaration.

The new legal move comes days after the woman, identified in earlier proceedings as Jane Doe, said under penalty of perjury that she had never met or spoken with Jay-Z, whose legal name is Shawn Carter, and that her accusations against him were false.

The development could add a major new dimension to the legal battle surrounding the Grammy-winning artist since late 2024.

Jay-Z Calls Recantation ‘Explosive New Evidence’

In a petition for rehearing filed with California’s Second District Court of Appeal, Jay-Z, aka Shawn Carter, and his attorneys argue that the woman’s new declaration changes the circumstances underlying an earlier ruling that dismissed his claims against Tony Buzbee and his law firm.

According to the filing, Carter wants the opportunity to conduct limited discovery into what happened before and after the allegations became public. His lawyers argue that the recantation provides evidence supporting their claims that Tony Buzbee’s actions should be examined in court.

The woman previously filed a lawsuit alleging that Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs sexually assaulted her at a 2000 MTV Video Music Awards after-party when she was 13. She later withdrew the lawsuit.

In her latest declaration, she now says she never met Jay-Z and that there was no inappropriate conduct between them. Reuters reported that she also said she had not been paid to recant.

Why the Earlier Appeal Failed

Jay-Z originally sued Buzbee in California after the attorney sent a demand letter seeking a financial resolution to the allegations before Carter was named in a lawsuit.

A California appeals court recently upheld dismissal of Carter’s extortion and defamation claims. The court found that Buzbee’s communications were connected to anticipated litigation and said Carter had not demonstrated that Buzbee acted with actual malice.

The ruling also noted evidence Buzbee submitted showing that his firm and another law firm investigated the allegations and believed them to be true at the time.

Carter’s new petition argues that the woman’s recantation warrants reconsideration because it potentially changes the factual basis of that decision.

Buzbee Challenges the New Declaration

Tony Buzbee has disputed Carter’s characterization of the legal fight. He previously said that the woman had provided substantially the same account to multiple lawyers before he became involved.

Buzbee’s legal team has also challenged the new declaration, with one attorney describing it as a “bought-and-paid-for declaration” in a court filing. That characterization is a claim by Buzbee’s lawyers and the court has not established it.

Buzbee has separately maintained that sending a demand letter before litigation does not constitute extortion.

Jay-Z Still Has a Separate New York Case

The California appeal is only one part of Carter’s broader legal strategy.

The rapper is also pursuing a malicious prosecution case in New York involving Buzbee and his firm. Carter recently dismissed Jane Doe from that action while continuing to pursue claims against the attorneys.

The competing legal positions now center on a striking question: what happened during the original investigation of the allegations, and what caused the accuser to first make the claims and later withdraw them?

For now, the recantation does not itself establish liability against Tony Buzbee or guarantee that Jay-Z’s California claims will be revived. The appeals court must first decide whether the new evidence justifies reconsidering its earlier ruling.

The case is likely to remain closely watched as Carter seeks to turn the latest courtroom development into a renewed legal challenge.