Jay-Z isn’t backing down in his legal battle with Tony Buzbee.
On Tuesday, June 1, reports confirmed that Los Angeles County Judge Mark Epstein dismissed Hov’s defamation and extortion lawsuit against Buzbee. Still, the judge noted he wasn’t “wholly satisfied” with the outcome. Not long after the decision, Jay-Z’s attorney Robert M. Schwartz filed an appeal.
Judge Epstein acknowledged that the matter is now in the hands of the Court of Appeals, which will determine whether his ruling was correct regarding Jay-Z’s claim that Buzbee pushed for a private settlement. Jay’s other attorney, Alex Spiro, also confirmed that they plan to challenge the ruling.
The legal drama stems from last year when Buzbee sent a demand letter to Spiro, accusing Jay-Z and Diddy of sexually assaulting a minor back in 2000. In response, Jay-Z filed an amended lawsuit, claiming the allegations cost him $190 million in income, deals, and financing.
Though the suit has been tossed for now, Buzbee isn’t letting up. He told TMZ the ruling came with “a lengthy, well-reasoned opinion” and said he intends to go after Jay-Z’s legal team for “a lot” of money spent defending against what he calls a “meritless case.”
“We have a long history of winning. We won’t be deterred in our important work,” Buzbee said.
Spiro, on the other hand, criticized the decision and called for the Court of Appeals to step in. “We’re surprised and disappointed by this ruling,” he said, arguing that it hinged on a flawed interpretation of California law regarding admissible statements. He also accused Buzbee of knowingly making false claims, adding, “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?”
