Jay-Z has been awarded nearly $120,000 in attorneys’ fees and related legal costs following the dismissal of a long-running paternity lawsuit, according to a new ruling from a California judge.
The case involved claims brought on behalf of Rymir Satterthwaite, who alleged that the 25-time Grammy winner was his biological father, stemming from an alleged relationship in the mid-1990s with Rymir’s late mother, Wanda Satterthwaite. The lawsuit was filed by Lillie Coley, identified as Rymir’s godmother and legal guardian.
In November, a California judge granted Jay-Z’s motion to dismiss the complaint. The rapper, whose real name is Shawn Carter, has consistently denied the paternity allegations, with his legal team previously characterizing the claims as part of a “decades-long harassment” effort.
Now, court documents reviewed by Complex show that a judgment has been entered in Jay-Z’s favor regarding legal costs. In a filing dated Tuesday, January 13, Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett ruled that Jay-Z is “entitled to recover” $119,235.45 in attorneys’ fees and related expenses.
Also filed the same day was a 15-page order explaining both the decision to award fees to Jay-Z and the court’s denial of Coley’s motion for reconsideration. Central to the ruling was California’s anti-SLAPP statute, which is designed to protect individuals from lawsuits that may infringe on free speech or petition rights.
Under that statute, a defendant who prevails on a special motion to strike is entitled to recover attorneys’ fees and costs. While Coley argued against the application of the law in this case, the court ultimately rejected those arguments and upheld Jay-Z’s request for reimbursement.
With the complaint dismissed and fees awarded, the ruling marks another legal victory for Jay-Z in a case that has resurfaced in various forms over the years.
