A long-standing paternity action filed against renowned music artist Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter has been dismissed with prejudice by the United States District Court for the Central District of California, effectively bringing an end to a decade-long legal saga.
According to court filings, Lillie Coley, who identified herself as the godmother and legal guardian of Rymir Satterthwaite, petitioned the court to establish Carter’s paternity, alleging that the Grammy-winning musician fathered Satterthwaite in the mid-1990s with the late Wanda Satterthwaite, who passed away in 2019.
Coley asserted that Wanda Satterthwaite had spent nearly twenty years pursuing legal recognition of Jay-Z’s alleged paternity through various proceedings in New Jersey and Pennsylvania family courts. However, the matter has now been conclusively terminated following Tuesday’s judicial order.
In the dismissal ruling, the court stated:
“The Court has read and considered the motion [to dismiss the case] and concluded that it is suitable for decision without oral argument.”
The judge’s order closes all outstanding claims, and the “with prejudice” designation bars further attempts to refile the same matter.
Throughout the proceedings, Coley accused Carter and his legal representatives of “abuse of the legal process”, alleging they exploited sealed court orders, false filings, and procedural technicalities to obstruct efforts at confirming paternity.
Rymir Satterthwaite, who is in his early thirties, has consistently maintained that Jay-Z is his biological father and has publicly called for the rapper to voluntarily submit to a DNA test. In an earlier interview, he stated:
“I don’t want any money. I just want the truth… I just really want it over with. It’s something that has really affected my life.”
Court documents further note that Robert Graves, whom Wanda Satterthwaite had also been romantically involved with, was excluded as a possible father following a 2010 paternity test.
Despite Satterthwaite’s repeated requests for a definitive resolution, the court’s ruling formally concludes the matter, reaffirming that no credible evidence has been produced to warrant further proceedings.#newsafro_
