Jay-Z is reportedly asking a bankruptcy court to prevent a $119,235.45 attorney-fee judgment from being erased in Lillie Coley’s bankruptcy case.

TMZ reported on Friday, July 24, that attorneys for the rapper, whose legal name is Shawn Carter, recently filed a motion arguing that the debt should survive Coley’s bankruptcy proceedings.

Coley is the godmother and former legal guardian of Rymir Satterthwaite, who has claimed for years that Jay-Z is his biological father. Jay-Z has consistently denied that claim.

The new filing does not ask the bankruptcy court to decide paternity. The question now is much narrower: whether the money Coley was previously ordered to pay Jay-Z qualifies as a debt that can be discharged through bankruptcy.

Why Jay-Z Is Seeking $119,235.45

The amount comes from a January 13, 2026, judgment entered in federal court in California.

U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett ruled that Jay-Z was entitled to recover $119,235.45 in attorney’s fees and costs from Coley after he prevailed on an anti-SLAPP motion.

The federal judgment states that Coley would “take nothing” from Carter through her complaint and that he was entitled to fees as the prevailing defendant.

California’s anti-SLAPP law provides a process for challenging claims that arise from protected speech or petitioning activity. A prevailing defendant can recover legal costs under the statute.

The fee award did not establish whether Jay-Z is or is not Satterthwaite’s biological father. It followed the dismissal of Coley’s separate civil complaint and addressed the cost of defending that litigation.

What Jay-Z’s Attorneys Reportedly Argue

According to TMZ’s account of the new filing, Jay-Z’s lawyers say he has faced more than a decade of what they characterize as unfounded court filings, online harassment campaigns and public statements from Coley and Satterthwaite.

His legal team reportedly argues that the judgment arose from fraudulent statements and misrepresentations intended to harass and target him. On that basis, they want the bankruptcy judge to rule that the debt is not dischargeable.

TheGrio’s report on the filing says Jay-Z’s attorneys contend that allowing the judgment to disappear would erase the financial consequence of conduct that already produced a court-ordered fee award.

That is Jay-Z’s position, not yet a new ruling from the bankruptcy judge.

Coley Is Reportedly Fighting the Request

Coley has reportedly asked the bankruptcy court to dismiss Jay-Z’s request, arguing that his filing does not satisfy necessary procedural requirements.

The court has not yet ruled on the dispute.

That means two separate legal facts should not be combined:

• Jay-Z already holds a federal judgment awarding him $119,235.45 in fees and costs.
• Whether that judgment will survive Coley’s bankruptcy remains unresolved.

Bankruptcy can discharge many debts and give a debtor a financial reset. Certain categories, including some debts connected to fraud or intentional misconduct, can be excluded from discharge. The creditor generally must establish why a specific exception applies.

Jay-Z’s motion reportedly asks the court to make that determination here.

The History Behind the Paternity Claims

Satterthwaite has alleged that Jay-Z had a relationship with his late mother, Wanda Satterthwaite, in the 1990s and that the rapper is his biological father.

Jay-Z has denied the allegation.

The dispute has produced litigation in several courts over more than a decade. Lawsuits and related claims brought by Satterthwaite and Coley have repeatedly been dismissed, including a 2025 California federal case that was dismissed with prejudice.

In 2022, a New Jersey court also restricted Coley and Satterthwaite from making additional filings in that state without receiving prior court approval.

The January 2026 fee judgment followed Coley’s unsuccessful California complaint. Reporting at the time showed that Judge Garnett awarded Jay-Z the exact amount of $119,235.45 under the state’s anti-SLAPP statute.

No Court Has Established That Jay-Z Is Satterthwaite’s Father

Public discussion of the case often blurs an allegation, a demand for DNA testing and a judicial determination.

They are not the same thing.

Satterthwaite has publicly claimed Jay-Z is his father. Jay-Z has denied that claim. The litigation described in the current reports has not produced a court finding establishing paternity.

The latest filing is not a new paternity lawsuit or a ruling on the underlying allegation. It is a bankruptcy dispute over whether an existing attorney-fee judgment can be discharged.

That distinction is essential to reporting the story accurately.

Why the Bankruptcy Question Matters

A judgment does not automatically mean the prevailing party will collect the full amount.

If a person who owes a judgment files for bankruptcy, the creditor may need to act in bankruptcy court to protect the debt. The result can depend on the nature of the judgment, the legal basis for the debt and whether an exception to discharge applies.

Jay-Z’s attorneys are reportedly arguing that this fee award belongs in an exception because of the conduct they say produced it.

Coley disputes that effort, and the judge must decide whether Jay-Z’s request can proceed and whether the debt survives.

Until then, the $119,235.45 remains a valid judgment, but its treatment in bankruptcy is still being litigated.

A Different Jay-Z Headline After His Anniversary Run

The legal update arrives shortly after a much different series of Jay-Z headlines.

WWETV recently covered how Jay-Z brought Beyoncé, Blue Ivy, Nas, Alicia Keys and Jaz-O to Yankee Stadium for a celebration of Reasonable Doubt and his wider New York legacy.

That anniversary run focused on family, music and three decades of cultural influence. The Coley filing returns attention to a legal dispute that has followed the rapper across much of that same period.

The two stories should remain separate. One concerns Jay-Z’s public artistic legacy. The other concerns a pending bankruptcy motion tied to a previously awarded legal-fee judgment.

What Happens Next

The bankruptcy court must determine whether Jay-Z’s filing meets the procedural requirements and, if it does, whether the $119,235.45 debt is legally exempt from discharge.

A ruling in Jay-Z’s favor would preserve his ability to pursue collection despite the bankruptcy. A ruling for Coley could allow the debt to be treated with her other dischargeable obligations or end Jay-Z’s current challenge, depending on the court’s reasoning.

For now, the confirmed development is limited but significant: Jay-Z is reportedly asking the bankruptcy court to keep his six-figure judgment alive, Coley is opposing that request, and the judge has not yet decided the issue.