Jay-Z has asked a California appeals court to reconsider its recent dismissal of his extortion lawsuit against lawyer Tony Buzbee, after the woman who accused him of rape said her allegations were false. His lawyers argue that her sworn recantation is new evidence that Buzbee’s case was built on lies and warrants allowing Jay-Z to gather evidence through discovery.

Buzbee’s 2024 lawsuit alleged that Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs assaulted a teenager after the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards; Jay-Z denied the claims and sued Buzbee for extortion and defamation. The appeals court had found no evidence Buzbee knowingly made false claims and said pre-lawsuit demand letters are a normal part of litigation. Buzbee’s lawyers now call the accuser unreliable and have suggested Jay-Z paid her to recant; Jay-Z’s separate federal claims against her former lawyers are continuing.