In a significant legal victory, JAY-Z has been deemed “entitled” to receive nearly $120,000 in attorney’s fees after a judge ruled in his favor, concluding a lengthy paternity case against him. The ruling was handed down by Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett on January 13, stating that JAY-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, can recover $119,235.45 from the plaintiff, Lillie Coley.
Coley, who serves as the “godmother and legal guardian” of Rymir Satterthwaite, has claimed that JAY-Z is Satterthwaite’s biological father. This claim goes back to allegations that the rapper fathered a child with Satterthwaite’s late mother, Wanda Satterthwaite, in the mid-1990s—allegations that JAY-Z has consistently denied.
The saga began many years ago, with Judge Garnett previously dismissing Coley’s paternity lawsuit in November, a decision that came after a protracted legal battle spanning over 15 years. The original case was initiated by Ms. Satterthwaite in New Jersey court in 2010 regarding child support. After Ms. Satterthwaite fell ill, Coley took over the case, which was ultimately dismissed in 2012 due to jurisdictional issues. The lawsuit was refiled in 2014, and it gained public attention in 2015 when the plaintiffs accused JAY-Z of evading a DNA test.
Following the death of Ms. Satterthwaite in 2016, Coley and Rymir Satterthwaite continued their pursuit against the rapper. In 2023, Rymir initiated his own federal paternity lawsuit, alleging that JAY-Z had suppressed evidence and misrepresented key facts related to his connections with New Jersey.
In response to these claims, JAY-Z’s legal team asserted that the allegations have been dismissed in various courts and characterized the ongoing lawsuits as part of Satterthwaite’s “decades-long harassment.”
For more updates on celebrity lawsuits and related topics, stay connected with hiphopraisedmetheblog.com.
