PEOPLE reports Jay-Z is suing lawyer Tony Buzbee for defamation, civil extortion, and intentional infliction of emotional distress following the dismissal of a lawsuit alleging assault by Jay-Z and Diddy.

Jay-Z claims the lawsuit was strategically timed to coincide with his daughter’s premiere and resulted in financial losses and reputational damage. “I felt that Mr. Buzbee was placing a gun to my head that I either bow to his demands or endure personal and financial ruin,” the rap mogul wrote in his declaration.

The rapper is determined to hold Buzbee accountable and protect his legacy amid ongoing legal battles. When the original lawsuit occurred Oct. 20, 2024, an unnamed woman alleged that in 2000, after the VMA’s Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter assaulted her in a New York City residence in front of a celebrity female, celebrity whom remains unnamed.

Following the dismissal of the case, Carter made a statement: “Today is a victory,” he wrote. “The frivolous, fictitious and appalling allegations have been dismissed. This civil suit was without merit and never going anywhere. The fictional tale they created was laughable, if not for the seriousness of the claims. I would not wish this experience on anyone,” he continued. “The trauma that my wife, my children, loved ones, and I have endured can never be dismissed.”