A decades-long effort to prove Jay-Z fathered a now 30-year-old man has officially come to an end — at least in the eyes of the law.
A California judge has dismissed with prejudice a federal paternity lawsuit brought by Rymir Satterthwaite, meaning the case cannot be refiled and the Empire State of Mind rapper will not be required to take a DNA test.
The suit was filed earlier this year through Satterthwaite’s legal guardian and paralegal, Lillie Coley, but court documents confirm the judge ruled in favor of Jay-Z, 55, whose legal team has long maintained the claims were baseless.
Jay-Z — born Shawn Carter — has repeatedly denied being Rymir’s father since the allegations first surfaced, with his attorneys calling the claims part of a “decades-long harassment campaign.”
The Claim
Satterthwaite alleged his late mother, Wanda Satterthwaite, had an intimate relationship with Jay-Z back in the 1990s and that the rapper secretly fathered him. Wanda passed away in 2016, but court filings show she once attempted to sue Carter for child support — a case that was dismissed due to being filed in the wrong state.
Rymir has claimed his mother told him the truth about his parentage when he was just eight.
The Legal Battle
Over the years, Satterthwaite and Coley have tried multiple legal routes to force the rap mogul to take a DNA test. Courts in New Jersey and federal courts have all rejected the claims.
In May 2023, Rymir vowed to continue pushing for a test, telling the Daily Mail, “This is not going to be over until justice is served. I won’t stop fighting.”
But in July 2024, he announced on Instagram that he was withdrawing the federal case — though he suggested he was stepping back strategically, not surrendering.
“I have not stopped my fight,” he wrote. “We got to step back and play chess, not checkers.”
The Judge’s Final Word
The latest ruling means the door is now legally closed. The case cannot be re-opened, and Satterthwaite can no longer pursue paternity claims against Carter in court.
Where Things Stand
Satterthwaite, who is pursuing a music career, has said he is not seeking back child support but rather emotional and reputational damages. Jay-Z, meanwhile, is father to Blue Ivy (13) and twins Rumi and Sir (8) with his wife Beyoncé.
The rapper has not commented publicly on the latest ruling.
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