Jay-Z has spent years fighting claims that he fathered a now-adult man, and now the billionaire rapper wants to make sure a $119,235 legal judgment tied to the long-running dispute doesn’t disappear in bankruptcy court.
Show Him the Money
The music mogul, whose legal name is Shawn Carter, is asking a bankruptcy judge to prevent Lillie Coley from erasing the $119,235.45 she was ordered to pay him after her federal lawsuit was dismissed.
Coley is the godmother and former legal guardian of Rymir Satterthwaite, who has publicly claimed for years that Jay-Z is his biological father. Jay-Z has repeatedly denied the allegation.
According to court documents, Jay-Z argues the debt should survive Coley’s bankruptcy because it resulted from what his legal team characterized as fraudulent statements, misrepresentations, and years of harassment, TMZ reported on July 24.
His attorneys allege Coley and Satterthwaite have targeted the rapper for about a decade through various court filings, online campaigns, and public statements. Jay-Z claims he has spent thousands fighting the litigation.
The $119,235 judgment stems from a federal lawsuit Coley filed in California in May 2025. She accused Jay-Z of fraud, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and misconduct connected to earlier litigation surrounding Satterthwaite’s paternity claims.
U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett dismissed Coley’s complaint in November 2025 without allowing her to amend it. In January, judgment was entered in Jay-Z’s favor, with Coley ordered to pay $119,235.45 in attorneys’ fees and costs.
Now she has filed for bankruptcy.
Jay-Z wants the court to declare the debt nondischargeable, which would leave Coley responsible for paying it even after her bankruptcy concludes. Coley has asked the court to dismiss his request on procedural grounds.
Satterthwaite has said his late mother, Wanda Satterthwaite, told him she had a relationship with Jay-Z before his birth. Jay-Z has consistently denied being his father.
Multiple lawsuits connected to the allegations have been dismissed. However, those court rulings have not produced a DNA determination establishing or disproving biological paternity.
