Houston lawyer Tony Buzbee is at the centre of a legal row with billionaire rapper-turned-executive Sean ‘Jay-Z‘ Carter over an explosive lawsuit that lists the latter as a co-defendant in a rape case.
Tony Buzbee fires back at Jay-Z
The 56-year-old took to social media shortly after news of his high-profile lawsuit spread like wildfire online to respond to Jay-Z’s scathing statement, where he accused Buzbee of being “a deplorable human.”
In a post shared on X, Buzbee termed Jay-Z’s response as “efforts to silence my clients.”
According to Buzbee, Jay-Z not only sued him using a pseudonym to mask his identity but also “tried to bully and harass me and this plaintiff.”
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“His conduct has had the opposite impact. She is emboldened. I’m very proud of her resolve,” Buzbee wrote.
At the heart of Jay-Z’s statement is the claim that before the filing, which Buzbee made on Sunday, 8 December 2024, the Houston lawyer sent the ROC Nation founder’s lawyers a demand letter seeking an out-of-court settlement to prevent his name from being unsealed in papers initially registered at the Southern District of New York in October 2024 against Diddy, where the Brooklyn native was identified as ‘Celebrity A’.
“What he had calculated was the nature of these allegations and the public scrutiny would make me want to settle. No sir, it had the opposite effect! It made me want to expose you for the fraud you are in a VERY public fashion. So no, I will not give you ONE RED PENNY!!” Jay-Z exclaimed in his fiery statement.
According to Buzbee, however, no mention of money was made in the demand letter.
“What he fails to say in his recent statement is my firm sent his lawyer a demand letter on behalf of an alleged victim and that victim never demanded a penny from him,” he insisted.
Instead, Buzbee explained, his client sought “a confidential mediation.”
In his filings, Buzbee represents a Jane Doe who claims she was raped and sexually assaulted by Jay-Z and Diddy at an MTV VMAs afterparty on 7 September 2000.
She was 13 years old at the time.
Who is Tony Buzbee?
The latest lawsuit filed by Buzbee against Diddy has cast new sets of eyes on the controversial lawyer.
A former Marine commander, Buzbee has not only established a prolific portfolio as “one of the most successful trial lawyers in Texas”, but also sports a turbulent track record in politics.
Since as early as 2002, Buzbee has launched numerous failed attempts at advancing his political career.
Back then, his attempt to run for the 24th District of the Texas State House was thwarted by former Republican Larry Taylor, who manned the position from 2003 to 2012.
In 2019, Buzbee ran for the Houston mayoral election and lost to Sylvester Turner, a Democrat who’s currently the representative-elect for Texas’s 18th congressional district.
During that campaign, Buzbee was accused of using a deepfake ad to smear Turner over an executive internship scandal he was embroiled in at the time.
The ad showed doctored text exchanges and fake images of Turner and the intern. Despite the use of dark arts to garner momentum in the race, Buzbee lost to Turner in the runoff election.
In 2023, Buzbee also failed to run for the Houston City Council seat for District G. While he managed to obtain second place with 4.31% of the vote, Mary Nan Huffman, a renowned prosecutor, blew him out of the race with over 56%.
In his legal profession, Buzbee has targeted high-profile cases with massive payout potential, most notably the Deepwater Horizon oil spill where his involvement as a litigant earned him the “most successful trial lawyers in Texas” moniker coined by The New York Times.
Buzbee also represented 21 clients in a sexual misconduct class action lawsuit against NFL quarterback Deshaun Watson, and 120 victims of the Astroworld Festival tragedy.
In the Diddy matter, Buzbee represents more than 50 victims, with an additional seven added to the tally after he made several filings in the Southern District of New York on Sunday.
What’s in it for him?
Thus far, Buzbee has vehemently denied Jay-Z’s accusations of a money grab.
According to the ROC Nation founder, the Houston lawyer “seems to have a pattern of these [types] of theatrics.”
“I have no idea how you have come to be such a deplorable human Mr. Buzbee, but I promise you I have seen your kind many times over. I’m more than prepared to deal with your type,” he exclaimed.
Buzbee, however, insists the aim is to seek justice for his clients.
A closer look at the lawsuit against Jay-Z and Diddy paints a clearer picture of what a victory means for him.
The case was filed at a US federal court, which has subject-matter jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1332, a statute that governs diversity jurisdiction.
Under 28 U.S.C. § 1332, federal courts can hear cases involving parties who are citizens of different states or when one party is a citizen of a US state and the other is a foreign citizen or entity.
Most importantly, however, while there was no predetermined amount attached to the civil claim, Buzbee chose a US federal court since the lawsuit involves a claim where the value of the damages or relief sought is greater than $75,000, excluding interest and costs.
Ultimately, Buzbee’s client wants the courts to award her:
- Compensatory damages: Payment for all physical injuries, emotional distress, psychological harm, anxiety, humiliation, pain and suffering, disruption to family and social life, and any other harm, with the amount to be decided at trial.
- Punitive damages: Additional payment meant to punish the defendants, with the amount to be determined at trial.
- Attorney’s fees and costs: Reimbursement for legal fees and expenses, as allowed by relevant laws.
- Interest on damages: Payment of interest on the awarded amounts, both from before and after the judgment.
- Seizure of assets: Authorisation to seize the defendants’ property and assets in New York under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 64.
- Other relief: Any additional relief the court considers fair and appropriate.
The US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York has, thus far, refused to comment on its plans to pursue a criminal case against Jay-Z.
