Jay-Z , whose legal name is Shawn Carter, faced a major setback on Thursday, August 20, 2026, when a California appeals court signaled it may uphold the dismissal of his lawsuit against attorney Tony Buzbee. The case stems from Buzbee’s since withdrawn 2024 lawsuit accusing Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs of assaulting a 13-year-old girl decades ago, allegations Jay-Z has repeatedly denied. Jay-Z sued Buzbee in California and Texas, claiming the attorney fabricated the accusations to chase money and publicity. The California case hinged on a recorded interview in which the anonymous accuser, identified in court as Jane Doe, allegedly contradicted parts of her claims and suggested investigators pressured her. Why Are Judges Questioning the Recording? Los Angeles Judge Mark H. Epstein rejected the recording under hearsay rules in July 2025 and dismissed the lawsuit for lack of admissible evidence. During Thursday’s appellate hearing, Judges Stephen Goorvitch and Anne Richardson questioned who commissioned the interview and whether Doe’s yes-or-no answers were shaped by leading questions. Buzbee’s attorney, Samuel Moniz, argued that private investigators intimidated Doe by threatening to expose her identity, saying the recording captured a frightened and unprepared woman. Jay-Z’s lawyer, Jeremy Rosen, countered that the case should proceed to discovery, where documents and witness testimony could test whether Buzbee pressured Doe to invent the allegations; the three-judge panel nevertheless indicated its tentative view favored keeping the dismissal in place.