A United States federal court has formally brought an end to a years-long paternity dispute involving rapper and business executive Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, dismissing the case and awarding him significant legal costs.
The lawsuit, initiated by Rymir Satterthwaite, was dismissed on January 15, 2026. The judge ruled with prejudice, meaning the claims are permanently closed and cannot be brought back before the courts.
Court records show that Jay-Z was awarded roughly $120,000 in attorney’s fees under California’s anti-SLAPP statute, a law intended to deter lawsuits that are deemed abusive, frivolous, or designed to harass. The court concluded that the repeated filings against Carter met that threshold.
Over the years, Satterthwaite and his legal team made multiple efforts in both state and federal courts to compel Jay-Z to undergo DNA testing and to revisit allegations that had already been rejected in prior rulings. The judge found no legal grounds to support those demands, noting that the issues had been extensively litigated and consistently dismissed.
In its decision, the court agreed with Carter’s attorneys that the continued motions lacked merit and represented an improper use of the legal system. As a result, Satterthwaite’s legal guardian was ordered to pay Carter’s legal expenses, effectively closing the matter.
The ruling bars any future attempts to revive the paternity claims, marking the final resolution of one of the most persistent legal controversies connected to the billionaire artist and entrepreneur. Jay-Z, who has always denied the allegations, has not issued a public response to the decision, which aligns with and reinforces earlier court dismissals of similar claims.
