Courts dismiss legal claims against Sean Combs and Jay-Z

A California appellate court has rejected a legal attempt by Jay-Z, born Shawn Carter, to revive an extortion and defamation lawsuit against attorney Tony Buzbee. The original case involved allegations that Jay-Z and Sean Combs had sexually assaulted a teenager in 2000. The court ruled that Buzbee did not act with malice, noting that his firm’s investigations led him to believe the accusations were truthful at the time.

In a separate legal development, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit against Sean Combs filed by entertainer Julian Sapp. The complaint alleged that Combs drugged and sexually assaulted Sapp between 2007 and 2012. Judge Jennifer L. Rochon ruled that the claims were filed too late, citing a lack of diligence in pursuing rights over the intervening decade. This follows a similar dismissal of claims brought by former singer Dawn Richard on timeliness grounds.