Overview
- This week a California Court of Appeal affirmed the dismissal of Jay‑Z’s claims that attorney Tony Buzbee extorted and defamed him for sending demand letters and public statements tied to a separate assault complaint.
- The panel said Buzbee’s demand letters and related communications were litigation‑related and therefore shielded by California’s litigation privilege and anti‑SLAPP rules.
- The court found no evidence that Buzbee knew the accusations were false or acted with reckless disregard, and it credited sworn declarations that investigators and lawyers had interviewed the accuser and other potential claimants.
- The appellate ruling did not settle whether the underlying sexual‑assault allegations are true, and it noted that the accuser’s separate federal complaint was voluntarily dismissed with prejudice in February 2025.
- Jay‑Z still has an active malicious‑prosecution suit in federal court and could seek further state review, while Buzbee said he expects to recover his legal fees as a result of the decision.