Music mogul Jay-Z has launched a fierce new legal attack against attorney Tony Buzbee, accusing him of fabricating a death threat in an alleged attempt to hide unauthorized legal activity in federal court.
According to newly filed court documents, Jay-Z claims Buzbee and attorney David Fortney falsely told a Jane Doe plaintiff that the rapper had threatened to kill her, allegedly convincing her that continuing the lawsuit against him was too dangerous.
The original lawsuit accused Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl after the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. Although the case was ultimately dismissed, Jay-Z argues the legal misconduct behind it is only now being uncovered.
Jay-Z’s legal team alleges that Buzbee had been improperly practicing law in the Southern District of New York by filing documents through another attorney’s court credentials because he was not authorized to practice there. Court records reportedly show that after Judge Analisa Torres ordered Buzbee to prove his admission status, he quickly applied for admission — only to be denied.
The filing further claims Buzbee had filed documents in more than 20 cases without authorization, eventually forcing him to withdraw from numerous high-profile cases linked to Combs after being publicly criticized by a federal judge.
According to Jay-Z’s attorneys, the alleged death threat story was created to distract from the mounting legal problems surrounding Buzbee’s federal court status.
The lawsuit also introduces a powerful Section 487 claim under New York law, which allows damages to be tripled if an attorney is found guilty of intentional deceit in court proceedings.
Jay-Z claims the false allegations caused him approximately $190 million in financial losses and reputational damage. In previous public comments, the rapper described the accusations as “heartbreaking” and said they filled him with “uncontrollable anger.”
Following the dismissal of the original case, Jay-Z strongly denied all allegations, calling them “frivolous, fictitious, and appalling.”
Buzbee has denied wrongdoing and argued that Jay-Z’s legal actions are attempts to intimidate and pressure former accusers.
Discovery in the case is expected to continue through December 31, 2026, with initial disclosures due in early June.
