A federal paternity lawsuit against rapper Jay-Z has been permanently dismissed. On Wednesday, a California judge granted the musician’s motion to dismiss the case brought by Rymir Satterthwaite, a 30-year-old man who claims to be his biological son.
The ruling, issued with prejudice, prevents Satterthwaite from re-filing the same lawsuit or requesting paternity tests from Jay-Z, whose legal name is Shawn Carter. The plaintiff had alleged in court documents that Carter impregnated his late mother, Wanda Satterthwaite, in the 1990s.
Satterthwaite had previously announced on Instagram last July 27 that he was withdrawing the case. “I did withdraw my case,” he stated, explaining the decision was due to “plenty going on behind closed doors.” He added, “I have not stopped my fight. We got to step back and play chess, not checkers.”
Attorneys for Carter have consistently denied the paternity allegations, describing them in legal filings as “fabricated” and part of a “decades-long string of harassment.” They noted that similar claims have been rejected by multiple courts in the past.
Satterthwaite asserted he was not seeking child support but instead claimed reputational and emotional distress damages. He accused the Grammy-winning artist of committing “fraud upon multiple courts” and exploiting legal systems to suppress the paternity claim.
This lawsuit follows a previous child support case filed by Wanda Satterthwaite before her 2016 death, which was dismissed for being filed in the wrong state.
