Jay-Z is making another legal move in his dispute with attorney Tony Buzbee, asking a California appeals court to reopen the door to his previously dismissed lawsuit.
The rapper, whose real name is Shawn Carter, filed a petition seeking reconsideration of the court’s refusal to revive his claims of extortion and defamation against Buzbee.
At the centre of the latest development is a woman who previously accused Carter of sexual assault.
Carter argues that her subsequent withdrawal of the allegations provides new evidence that warrants another look at his case.
The woman, identified as Jane Doe, had previously been involved in a lawsuit that contained allegations against Carter. His case against Buzbee was later dismissed by a lower court, with the appeals court declining to reinstate it.
Carter says the circumstances have now changed.
Doe has reportedly acknowledged that her allegations identifying Carter were false. She also said she had never met the rapper.
Her new attorney, James Blair Newman Jr., said Doe still maintains that she was sexually assaulted but was mistaken when identifying Carter as an alleged perpetrator.
Newman said his client now accepts that the allegations against Carter were untrue. He added that Carter did not sexually assault her or engage in inappropriate conduct with her.
Doe has also apologised to Carter and his family.
Carter is using the development to challenge the reasoning behind the earlier dismissal of his lawsuit.
He alleges that Buzbee sought the dismissal of the original case partly to shield himself from potential sanctions, rather than simply to protect his former client from harassment and unwanted publicity.
The rapper is now asking the appeals court to permit limited discovery.
His lawyers argue that the process could help establish whether there is enough evidence to support his claims. If the evidence meets the required threshold, Carter wants the lawsuit to proceed to trial.
The appeals court has yet to decide whether it will reconsider the case.
Meanwhile, Buzbee had not responded to requests for comment at the time of the report.
The allegations made by Carter against Buzbee remain unproven, and the court has not determined liability in the dispute.
