Jay-Z has lost an appeal seeking to revive an extortion and defamation lawsuit against a lawyer who filed an allegation of child rape that was later dismissed. According to reports, Jay-Z had said he would hold the attorney accountable for the claim, but a higher court ruling entitles the lawyer to recover legal costs.
The case hinges on whether Jay-Z’s conduct—reportedly including threat letters—amounts to unlawful extortion, and whether the lawyer’s actions can support defamation-related claims. Billboard reports the appeals court rules that the threat letters do not constitute extortion. Rolling Stone similarly reports that Jay-Z’s effort to bring the claims back fails, leaving the lawyer’s position intact and enabling recovery of costs. The sources describe the underlying rape allegation as “dismissed” and “since-dismissed,” with both outlets focusing on the appeals court’s decision rather than the merits of the original accusation.
