Jay-Z is currently embroiled in a legal dispute with Houston attorney Tony Buzbee over sexual assault allegations from 2000.
The Grammy-winning rapper quickly denied the accusations when they surfaced in December.
“These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one,” he said in part at the time.
Jay-Z and his lawyer were recently given permission to file a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. They have now filed a motion asking the court to sanction Buzbee for allegedly damaging Jay-Z’s reputation with false accusations.
In a twist, Buzbee has also filed a lawsuit against Jay-Z, claiming that one of his lawyers paid a former client to sue him.
“On behalf of defendant Marcy Croft, two individuals attempted to call plaintiff (Maldonado) many times,” the lawsuit alleges, “They then went to what they believed was the plaintiff’s home. They actually went to his father’s home. They identified themselves as federal officers. When they realized they had the wrong house, they continued to contact plaintiff. They were pushy.”
Croft issues a statement to the Houston Chronicle in response. “For over 25 years, I have dedicated my career to exposing and dismantling networks of fraud and manipulation,” it reads. “I didn’t ask to be part of this fight. But now that he’s dragged me into it, he should know I’m not someone who backs down. Mr. Buzbee should be worried. Truth and justice are on my side. And I have every intention of holding him accountable.”
