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Jay-Z Seeks To Add Attorney Deceit Claim Against Tony Buzbee As Legal Battle Takes Another Turn
Jay-Z is escalating his legal offensive against attorney Tony Buzbee by asking a federal judge to allow a third amended complaint that accuses Buzbee and attorney David Fortney of deceiving both a former client and the court, adding a claim under New York Judiciary Law Section 487 that could dramatically raise the stakes in the long running dispute.
The proposed amendment, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges Buzbee orchestrated a campaign of deception after learning he would not be admitted to practice before the court handling the underlying lawsuit against the Hip-Hop mogul. If the court grants the request, Jay-Z’s lawsuit would expand to include allegations that Buzbee and Fortney intentionally misled a party during active litigation, conduct prohibited under Section 487 of New York’s Judiciary Law.
According to the proposed complaint, the alleged misconduct occurred after U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres directed Buzbee to submit proof of his admission to practice in the Southern District of New York. Jay-Z’s legal team alleges that once Buzbee learned his admission application had been denied, he sent Fortney to meet with Jane Doe, the plaintiff in the now dismissed civil lawsuit accusing Jay-Z of sexual assault.
The proposed complaint alleges Fortney falsely told Doe that Jay-Z had threatened her life and that pursuing the lawsuit had become too dangerous.
Jay-Z’s attorneys argue those statements were knowingly false and designed to persuade Doe to voluntarily dismiss the case for reasons unrelated to any safety concerns.
Instead, Carter’s attorneys contend the real objective was to avoid further scrutiny over what they describe as a fraudulently filed lawsuit in a court where Buzbee allegedly lacked authority to practice.
The filing states that the alleged deception deprived Jay-Z of the opportunity to fully clear his name in the underlying litigation while leaving accusations of child sexual assault on the public docket.
The new claim invokes New York Judiciary Law Section 487, a rarely used statute allowing civil claims against attorneys accused of intentionally deceiving a court or litigants. If successful, damages awarded under the statute may be tripled.
Jay-Z’s attorneys also argue the alleged deceit caused substantial reputational, personal and business harm by forcing him to defend against allegations they maintain were false.
AllHipHop has closely followed the dispute from its earliest stages, including Jay-Z’s denial of the allegations. This also includes the dismissal of the underlying lawsuit, the subsequent California litigation between Carter and Buzbee and the federal action now pending in New York.
We will now watch whether Judge Dale E. Ho permits the third amended complaint.
Buzbee is expected to oppose the amendment and could move to dismiss the newly added Section 487 claim if it is allowed. Even so, one issue could prove especially significant: discovery.
The Southern District of New York does not automatically halt discovery. Any request to pause evidence gathering generally requires court approval.
If discovery proceeds, Jay-Z’s legal team could seek emails, text messages, internal communications and deposition testimony related to the alleged meeting with Doe, Buzbee’s admission status in SDNY and the decision to dismiss the underlying lawsuit.
Those materials could also become important in Jay-Z’s separate California appeal should that litigation ultimately move forward.
