EXCLUSIVE: Jay-Z Accuses Sex Assault Lawyer Tony Buzbee of Orchestrating Phony Death-Threat Narrative to Cover Up Alleged Misconduct
Jay-Z filed a lawsuit against Tony Buzbee.
June 1 2026, Published 6:20 p.m. ET
Jay-Z claimed to discover a cover-up scheme driven by high-profile lawyer Tony Buzbee.
According to the rapper's legal team, Buzbee, 58, allegedly intentionally deceived clients, including when filing the famous lawsuit, which accused Jay-Z of raping a woman with Sean 'Diddy' Combs.
Jay-Z Alleges Tony Buzbee Feared Investigation
Jay-Z denied rape allegations made against him.
In court documents obtained by Radar, Buzbee's team allegedly convinced Jane Doe in the case to withdraw her lawsuit by claiming Jay-Z, 56, made a death threat against her.
The 99 Problems hitmaker, born Shawn Carter, insisted that no such death threat occurred, alleging Buzbee simply wanted the lawsuit to vanish before a deeper investigation into his legal practices could launch.
His attorneys wrote, "Defendant Fortney falsely (and outrageously) even told Doe that Carter had threatened to kill her in order to convince her to dismiss the Underlying Action, so that he and Buzbee could avoid sanctions for their unauthorized practice of law."
Jay-Z Claims Allegations Against Him Were Fabricated
The rapper responded with a defamation lawsuit.
Buzbee and his team filed the lawsuit against Jay-Z in December 2024. The lawsuit included allegations from Doe, who claimed she was raped by Combs, 56, and Jay-Z at an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty when she was 13 years old.
Immediately, Jay-Z denied the allegations, and Combs continues to deny all allegations against him. Jay-Z filed a lawsuit against Doe and her lawyers just a month later for malicious prosecution, abuse of process, and civil conspiracy. Moreover, he sued Doe for defamation.
He alleged the lawsuit caused him "to suffer actual and special damages, including, but not limited to, harm to his personal and professional reputation, harm to his business entity, Roc Nation, which resulted in his business suffering substantial losses in excess of $20 million, out-of-pocket loss, and emotional harm, humiliation, and harassment."
Jane Doe Voluntarily Dismisses Her Lawsuit
Jane Doe expressed there may have been mistakes made.
In December 2024, Doe admitted in an interview that "not all the facts are clear." She added, "I have made some mistakes. I may have made a mistake in identifying."
Doe and Buzbee filed to voluntarily dismiss the lawsuit in February 2025.
In response, Jay-Z said in a statement, "Today is a victory. The frivolous, fictitious, and appalling allegations have been dismissed. This civil suit was without merit and never going anywhere."
In Jay-Z's amended complaint, where he delivers allegations about defamation, he cited an alleged recorded conversation where Doe blames Buzbee for the whole legal debacle. In the conversation, Doe allegedly claimed the rapper "didn't sexually assault" her and that "Buzbee brought Jay-Z into it."
Jay-Z Speculates on Tony Buzbee's Motive to Dismiss
The rapper flagged concern over Buzbee's practices in the Southern District of New York.
Judge Analisa Torres of the Southern District of New York, where Buzbee was highly active in filing cases against Combs, ordered Buzbee to provide proof of admission. The application was reportedly denied.
Jay-Z further alleged Buzbee improperly used the credentials of a New York attorney to file lawsuits in the state, claiming he was not authorized to do so himself.
These procedural and legal issues, Jay-Z claimed, motivated Buzbee to dismiss the rape lawsuit.
Radar contacted representatives for Buzbee for comment.
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The lawsuit was just one of many for Combs.
When Doe retracted the complaint, Combs celebrated the legal win, as he'd been listed as a defendant as well.
His team said at the time, "For months, we have seen case after case filed by individuals hiding behind anonymity, pushed forward by an attorney more focused on media headlines than legal merit. Just like this claim, the others will fall apart because there is no truth to them."
The Bad Boys Records founder was convicted of transportation to engage in prostitution and acquitted on RICO charges and s-- trafficking allegations. He denies all accusations of wrongdoing made against him, and he is currently serving a prison sentence.
