Jay-Z awarded six figures after paternity case dismissed
American rapper and business mogul **Jay-Z has walked out of a long-running paternity legal battle with a six-figure court award after the case against him was dismissed by a federal judge in California following years of litigation. The lawsuit, brought by Lillie Coley, who claimed to be the legal guardian of **Rymir Satterthwaite and alleged Jay-Z was his biological father, was dismissed with prejudice on January 15, 2026, meaning it cannot be refiled or amended. The judge also ruled that Coley must pay roughly $119,235 in attorney’s fees and legal costs to Jay-Z under California’s anti-SLAPP statute, which is designed to protect individuals from meritless lawsuits intended to harass or intimidate them.
The dismissal marks the official end of a legal dispute that spanned more than a decade, during which multiple filings and motions sought to compel DNA testing and revive allegations of paternity. Jay-Z’s legal team argued that the claims lacked merit and were intended as part of a prolonged harassment campaign rather than grounded in credible legal basis. The judge agreed, and the order ensured that Jay-Z not only had the case dismissed but also received compensation for the legal costs he incurred defending against the claims.
While the underlying claims against Jay-Z had attracted public attention in entertainment and celebrity news circles, the latest ruling emphasised that the court found no substantive evidence to proceed. With the case now closed and the anti-SLAPP protections enforced, Jay-Z is expected to move forward without further legal entanglements over this matter.
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