Texas lawyer Tony Buzbee has accused Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter’s legal team of impropriety, claiming they offered payments to individuals willing to file lawsuits against him and his firm.
Buzbee, who represents “Jane Doe” in a federal lawsuit alleging Sean “Diddy” Combs and Jay-Z raped a 13-year-old girl in 2000, shared his allegations in a series of tweets on Monday.
Buzbee claims that “investigators” linked to Jay-Z contacted his clients and former clients with offers of money to initiate legal action against him.
He released a transcript from a recorded conversation in which an investigator allegedly stated, “We gave this kid 1,000 bucks to start yesterday just to get him on the right path.” The transcript also mentions an apparent smear campaign: “Anyone Googling Buzbee and his company… are going into litigation.”
“These guys are on tape offering to pay clients to sue our law firm,” Buzbee said on Twitter. “That’s a crime.”
“Investigators” from New York have called many of our law firm’s current and former clients. What they didn’t anticipate was one of the clients decided to record the conversation. It’s shocking, and illegal. Here is a portion taken from the transcript:
INVESTIGATOR: “In a…
— Tony Buzbee (@TonyBuzbee2) December 10, 2024
A Marine Turned High-Stakes Litigator
Tony Buzbee, 56, is no stranger to high-profile legal battles. A decorated former US Marine Corps officer, he served in the Somalian and Persian Gulf conflicts before pivoting to a legal career.
Buzbee graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Houston Law Center, where he was managing editor of the Houston Law Review. He later became an associate at the prominent law firm Susman Godfrey before founding The Buzbee Law Firm.
Buzbee has handled several landmark cases, including lawsuits related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the Astroworld Festival tragedy, and sexual misconduct allegations against NFL player Deshaun Watson. As a representative of more than 120 alleged victims, Buzbee has earned a reputation as a tenacious litigator.
In the ongoing controversy involving Combs and Jay-Z, Buzbee claims that some A-list celebrities sought to discreetly settle accusations to avoid being publicly named in court.
Federal Lawsuit Against Jay-Z and Sean Combs
Buzbee represents an anonymous woman who claims she was raped by Combs and Jay-Z after an MTV Video Music Awards after-party in 2000. Initially filed in October with Combs as the sole defendant, the lawsuit was refiled last week in New York to include Jay-Z.
Jay-Z has strongly denied the allegations, accusing Buzbee of engaging in “theatrics” and attempting blackmail through a “demand letter.” In a public statement, Jay-Z called the allegations “heinous” and urged the accuser to file a criminal complaint rather than pursuing a civil case.
Legal Tensions and Public Fallout
Buzbee alleges Jay-Z, 55, filed a pseudonymous lawsuit against him and his firm as part of an effort to “bully and harass” his team and the plaintiff. However, he praised the accuser for her courage, stating that the attempts to silence her have only “emboldened” her resolve.
Jay-Z, meanwhile, has lamented the toll the case has taken on his family:
“My wife and I will have to sit our children down… and explain the cruelty and greed of people. I mourn yet another loss of innocence.”
As the high-stakes legal battle unfolds, both sides remain steadfast in their positions, with the case poised to make waves both in court and in the public eye.
