Jay-Z's Paternity Dispute Ends in Dismissal After Decade of Legal Drama

After more than ten years of accusations, legal filings, and media speculation, a California judge has officially dismissed a long-running paternity case against Jay-Z.

The decision, issued with prejudice, ends the ability of Rymir Satterthwaite – the man who claimed to be the rapper's son – to bring the same lawsuit again.

The dismissal marks the final chapter in a complicated saga that has followed the billionaire hip-hop mogul for nearly two decades.

Court documents reviewed by Page Six show the judge granted Jay-Z's motion to dismiss the case without oral argument, stating that all prior allegations had already been reviewed and rejected in multiple jurisdictions.

Satterthwaite, now in his early 30s, first alleged that Jay-Z – born Shawn Carter – fathered him during a relationship with his late mother, Wanda Satterthwaite, in the early 1990s. Wanda, who passed away in 2016, had previously filed a child support case in New Jersey, but it was dismissed on jurisdictional grounds.

In subsequent years, Satterthwaite's legal guardian, paralegal Lillie Coley, continued efforts to prove paternity.

Court filings claimed the "N*ggas In Paris" artist had "committed fraud upon multiple courts" and "interfered with procedural due process" to avoid a DNA test.

Jay-Z's attorneys strongly denied those allegations, calling them "fabricated" and part of a "decades-long harassment campaign."

Paternity Battle

According to Satterthwaite, his mother told him when he was eight that Jay-Z was his biological father. He later claimed that another man, Robert Graves, once believed to be his father, was excluded through a paternity test in 2010.

Despite his persistence, the courts consistently sided with Carter's legal team. The latest ruling means Satterthwaite can no longer seek a court-ordered DNA test.

In interviews over the years, Satterthwaite has maintained that his efforts were not financially motivated. "I don't want any money," he told Daily Mail in 2023.

"I just want the truth." He added that one simple DNA test could have ended the matter years ago. "If he is not my father, why can't he prove me wrong? Go to the courtroom and do what everyone else has to do."

Satterthwaite expressed frustration that the case had affected his life for years, saying, "I just really want it over with. It's something that's really affecting my life and I just want it over with."

The court's dismissal with prejudice means Satterthwaite cannot refile the claim or request another paternity test in the same matter.

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Jay-Z, Beyonce