Lillie Coley is pursuing further legal action against Jay-Z in California federal court, despite a judge dismissing her case and opening the door for potential sanctions.
On November 5, Coley filed a notice of appeal with the Ninth Circuit, challenging Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett’s ruling from the day before.
That decision dismissed her lawsuit and ruled that she couldn’t file another complaint against the mogul, clearing the way for him to seek sanctions and legal fees.
However, in her latest futile filing, Coley objected to the court’s refusal to allow her to amend her complaint. Coley, who is representing herself, requested additional time to prepare her appeal. In a sworn declaration, Coley said she needed the extension because she was acting pro se and wanted to ensure the appellate record was complete.
But within 24 hours, she changed course. Coley suddenly withdrew the appeal and filed another document, stating that she planned to file a motion for reconsideration instead. She stated that the new filing would raise issues that the appellate court could not yet address.
The legal maneuvering came less than two weeks after Judge Garnett hit Coley with another crushing blow by denying her emergency request for a restraining order that would have blocked Jay-Z’s team from seeking sanctions.
That October 24 ruling cleared the way for his attorneys to pursue penalties, arguing Coley’s filings were “repetitive and meritless.”
Coley is the godmother and former legal guardian of Rymir Satterthwaite, who has claimed for years that Jay-Z is his biological father.
Multiple courts have rejected those claims, and a 2022 New Jersey court order barred Coley and Satterthwaite from filing new paternity-related lawsuits without prior approval.
Jay-Z’s legal team has accused Coley of violating that order by continuing to file lawsuits across jurisdictions. They argue she has engaged in “decades-long harassment” and are now seeking to recover legal costs.
Coley insists the case remains active and she also argued that the judge “overlooked key facts” and that her motion for reconsideration will highlight those omissions.
Coley said she has no intention of dropping the case and plans to continue fighting on behalf of Satterthwaite, whose mother, Wanda Satterthwaite, died in 2019.
Jay-Z has never taken a DNA test and has consistently denied being Satterthwaite’s father. His attorneys have called the ongoing legal saga a campaign of harassment aimed at forcing a paternity test through public pressure and litigation.
Satterthwaite has said he wants the truth, not money. “This is not about a dollar,” he told media outlets earlier this year. “This is about the truth.”