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CBS Wins Dismissal of Jay-Z’s Lawsuit Against Matlock Writer (EXCLUSIVE)
Confirmed
In Short: A California appeals court has rejected Jay-Z's attempt to revive his lawsuit against a Texas lawyer who accused him of raping a 13-year-old girl.
CBS has won a significant legal victory, with a California appeals court rejecting Jay-Z's attempt to revive his extortion and defamation lawsuit against the Texas lawyer who filed the initial complaint accusing the music mogul of raping a 13-year-old girl.
The ruling, which was upheld by the appellate panel, dismissed Carter's lawsuit in full, despite Judge Epstein acknowledging that he was not 'wholly satisfied' with the outcome.
In his 65-page ruling, Judge Epstein found that the litigation privilege protected Buzbee, the lawyer who filed the initial complaint, when he sent a demand letter to Carter before naming Jay-Z as a defendant.
CBS Studios, which produced the show 'Matlock,' filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the claims were baseless and maliciously fabricated.
The network's legal team also invoked anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) laws, which are designed to protect against lawsuits that seek to silence speech on matters of public interest.
In a statement to TheWrap, a CBS Studios spokesperson said, 'We take allegations of discrimination and harassment very seriously. Today, with the filing of our motion to strike, we took our first step toward challenging the baseless complaint filed by former Matlock writer John Lowe.
What's confirmed
- CBS has won a significant legal victory, with a California appeals court rejecting Jay-Z's attempt to revive his extortion and defamation lawsuit against the Texas lawyer who filed the initial complaint accusing the music mogul of raping a 13-year-old girl.
- The ruling, which was upheld by the appellate panel, dismissed Carter's lawsuit in full, despite Judge Epstein acknowledging that he was not 'wholly satisfied' with the outcome.
- In his 65-page ruling, Judge Epstein found that the litigation privilege protected Buzbee, the lawyer who filed the initial complaint, when he sent a demand letter to Carter before naming Jay-Z as a defendant.
- CBS Studios, which produced the show 'Matlock,' filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the claims were baseless and maliciously fabricated.
- The network's legal team also invoked anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) laws, which are designed to protect against lawsuits that seek to silence speech on matters of public interest.
- In a statement to TheWrap, a CBS Studios spokesperson said, 'We take allegations of discrimination and harassment very seriously. Today, with the filing of our motion to strike, we took our first step toward challenging the baseless complaint filed by former Matlock writer John Lowe.
What's still developing
- Carter’s camp was allowed to submit it, and the judge reviewed it before issuing his final dismissal ruling.
- “Without a present intent to bring a lawsuit, the litigation privilege will fail.” Rolling Stone previously obtained a portion of the alleged doorstep discussion with the Jane Doe.
- “There is no excuse for this blatant racism and harassment. CBS should be ashamed for allowing it, and the ‘Matlock’ showrunner and producers should be held accountable,” Lowe’s attorney Ron Zambrano said at the time.
- “As stated in the motion and following a thorough investigation, we are confident that Lowe’s accusations are demonstrably inaccurate and maliciously fabricated, and will not allow them to go unchallenged.” “False allegations are deeply damaging, both to those wrongly accused, and to anyone with a serious and legitimate claim of discrimination,” they added.
- “We stand firmly behind our producers and look forward to the truth coming to light.” In his initial California filing, Lowe cited an alleged instance where he claims he was fired after reporting that his supervisor referred to Juneteenth as “C–nteenth,” utilizing a racial slur.
- He further accused showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman and executive producers Nicki Renna and Jeffrey Lieber of using “stereotyped comments” against him and other Black cast and crew members.
- Previously, he had worked as a writer on “Virgin River” and in the casting departments for “Survivor,” “Project Runway” and spinoff “Under the Gunn.” CBS Studios and the producers deny any wrongdoing, via anti-SLAPP laws.
- “Matlock” is set to return midseason for Season 3 on CBS, with the first two seasons available to stream on Paramount+.