33-Year-Old Man Who Claims Jay-Z Is His Father Plans to Fight Against Final Court Order In Decades-Long Paternity Case
A decade-long paternity dispute involving Jay-Z quietly hit a turning point this week, bringing one of the music world’s most stubborn courtroom sagas closer to an end.
Following years of Rymir Satterthwaite claiming the rapper was his biological father, a new ruling out of California has shifted the financial burden in the most unexpected way, leaving one key figure on the hook for a hefty bill — and effectively cutting off a case that’s lingered for more than a decade.
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According to AllHipHop.com, a federal judge ordered Lillie Coley, the godmother and former guardian of Satterthwaite, to pay attorneys’ fees to Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter.
The court ruled that Coley “shall take nothing” from the rapper, dismissing her claims with prejudice and closing the door on further litigation.
The fees were awarded under California’s anti-SLAPP statute, a law meant to deter lawsuits that improperly challenge protected speech or lawful legal action. The judge concluded that Coley’s claims lacked legal merit and that Jay-Z’s legal team was entitled to recover costs after defending against years of repeated filings.
The dispute traces back to the early 2010s, when Satterthwaite, a New Jersey man now in his early 30s, began claiming the Brooklyn native was his biological father.
Jay-Z has consistently denied the allegation. Coley initially helped file a paternity action on Satterthwaite’s behalf in New Jersey that was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. Courts later blocked additional filings without prior approval, effectively halting that avenue.
Jay-Z has scored a victory in the years-long legal battle against Rymir Satterthwaite and his godmother, Lillie Coley.
Learn more here: pic.twitter.com/Ljr9pKVRiD
— 107.5 WBLS (@WBLS1075NYC) January 16, 2026
In 2023, Coley called for then-President Joe Biden to help her get a paternity test that would prove Satterthwaite, who social media users claim looks remarkably like Jay-Z, is his son. This was to no avail. The “Can’t Knock the Hustle” chart-topper never did a DNA test.
Despite those rulings, Coley resurfaced in 2025 with a new federal lawsuit in California, accusing the Roc-Nation founder and state officials of neglect and alleging that outdated court orders and liens were used to pressure her and Satterthwaite. She claimed those legal maneuvers forced her into bankruptcy and endangered her property, including a lien she said cost her $25,000 during the sale of a home.
The court rejected those arguments, dismissing the lawsuit in late 2025 and denying Coley’s attempt to amend her complaint. An emergency request to pause sanctions was also denied, clearing the way for the six-figure fee award that now cements Jay-Z’s courtroom win and ends years of litigation that multiple courts had already dismissed.
Public reaction quickly followed. On The Neighborhood Talks, commenters debated the outcome and Jay-Z’s refusal to submit to a DNA test.
One person wrote, “This make me not like Jay-Z no more. Like the only ppl ducking paternity test is men that know it’s probably theirs.”
Another focused on the imbalance of power, adding, “Imagine having to pay a billionaire money.”
Others took issue with who bore the financial penalty.
“Makin grandma pay is wild [100%] loss respect,” one commenter wrote.
Satterthwaite has long maintained that his fight is about due process, not money and he’s not ready to give up just yet.
“It’s not over until we win; we never had our day in court for merits of case. Nobody wants to see the proof of fraud and under age woman. Deeds, affidavits, property tax. Privilege speech of lies does qualify for anti slapp protection,” he wrote on X Jan. 15.
“Keep going,” he added.
Keep it going!!!
— Rymir Is Here (@RymirIsHere) January 18, 2026
On Instagram, Satterthwaite shared screenshots of the court documents claiming that, “Fraud is NOT protected speech. As I said the $119,000 was a Publicity Stunt cuse J’s attorney Micheal Fingermann in NJ disappeared on him & now is in default.”
“Federal judge dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice which means you just posting shit for attention now,” replied one person.
A third reply read, “At some point you have to move on with life,” to which Satterthwaite responded, “Yeah when we have fair day in court; never got to be heard always block.”
In past interviews, he has said he simply wants a DNA test and believes Jay-Z’s wealth and influence have helped him avoid it. Jay-Z’s legal team has countered that the allegations have been exhaustively reviewed and rejected, stating that courts have repeatedly found no basis to compel further action.
Jay-Z has even addressed the rumors in his music, rapping on the song “Heard About Us,” a track on the joint album with Beyoncé, “The Carters,” “For the thousandth time, the kid ain’t mine / Online they call me dad, kiddingly.”
With the sanctions order now finalized, the ruling appears to close the book on a saga that spanned more than a decade, leaving behind a sharp reminder of how persistence, power, and the courts ultimately collide when judges decide it’s time for a case to end.
