Jay-Z seeks appellate rehearing after accuser recants rape allegations

Shawn Carter, known professionally as Jay-Z, filed a petition for rehearing with a California appeals court, asking the panel to overturn its earlier decision to dismiss his extortion and defamation claims against Houston lawyer Tony Buzbee. Carter argues that a sworn declaration filed by the woman who had previously alleged he raped her provides "explosive new evidence" that warrants limited discovery and could allow his case to proceed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

In the 11-page declaration, signed in Alabama, the accuser states that her prior allegations were false, that she never met Carter, and that she disclosed mental-health conditions to her attorney before Buzbee’s firm named Carter in a December 2024 lawsuit. She affirmed under penalty of perjury that she had never been threatened by Carter or his representatives and that she did not authorize any settlement.

Carter’s petition contends that the appellate court relied on a prior finding that the accuser dropped her rape suit to avoid harassment, but her new statement contradicts that narrative. He maintains that Buzbee’s demand letter was intended to shield himself from a sanctions motion rather than to protect the woman, and that discovery could reveal evidence supporting Carter’s claims.

The appellate panel had upheld the lower-court dismissal, concluding that Buzbee’s demand letter was sent in anticipation of litigation and that Carter failed to show Buzbee acted with actual malice. Associate Justice Anne Richardson wrote that the record contained no proof Buzbee knowingly made false statements about the accusations.

Buzbee’s attorneys responded that the accuser’s recantation is a recent development and that they had dealt with her consistently before. One lawyer described the new declaration as "bought-and-paid-for" and noted that Carter’s team had previously characterized the accuser as an unreliable witness with mental-health issues. Buzbee’s counsel also reiterated that sending a demand letter prior to filing suit does not constitute extortion.

The dispute remains ongoing, with Carter also pursuing a separate malicious-prosecution claim in New York, while Buzbee’s side seeks to dismiss those allegations as improper and abusive.