Rymir Satterthwaite, a 31-year-old Philadelphia man who has spent more than a decade seeking to establish that Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter is his biological father, withdrew his latest federal paternity lawsuit on July 18, 2025, ending for now a high-profile legal battle that has stretched across three states and more than 15 years.
But Satterthwaite says the fight isn’t over. Speaking on Instagram Live on July 26, he declared,
“I have not stopped my fight. I did withdraw my case, but it’s for a reason. I have not gotten a settlement. It is not over.”
Satterthwaite’s claims date back to the early 1990s, when his late mother, Wanda Satterthwaite, alleged that she had a brief relationship with JAY-Z while she was 16 and he was 22. Rymir was born in 1993. In a recorded statement before her death in 2016, Wanda reiterated her belief that JAY-Z was the father, a claim the rapper has consistently denied.
The initial birth certificate listed another man, Robert Graves, as Rymir’s father. A DNA test in 2011 ruled Graves out. Since then, Satterthwaite has filed at least eight lawsuits in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and California, all seeking to compel a paternity test. None have succeeded.
JAY-Z’s legal team, led by attorney Lisa Friel, has described the allegations as “fabricated” and “part of a decades-long harassment campaign.”
The latest federal case, filed in California in May 2025, was withdrawn without prejudice, leaving open the possibility of future legal action. Satterthwaite’s godmother and co-plaintiff, Dr. Lillie Coley, has accused JAY-Z’s legal team of using fraudulent liens and procedural tactics to avoid a DNA test claims the rapper’s representatives firmly deny.
Satterthwaite insists his motive is not financial.
“If he is not my father, why can’t he prove me incorrect? Go to the courtroom and do what everyone else has to do,”
he said in a 2024 interview.
“I can take a no. I just can’t take him not saying anything.”
The case has repeatedly attracted attention from both traditional media and celebrity culture. In July, rapper Nicki Minaj reposted side-by-side images of JAY-Z and Satterthwaite on X, fueling renewed speculation. Online discussions frequently spiral into conspiracy theories about secret settlements or hidden evidence, but fact-checking initiatives have found no verified proof of any out-of-court agreement or DNA confirmation.
This latest development also comes amid wider scrutiny of JAY-Z’s legal battles. Earlier this year, a separate civil lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs was voluntarily dismissed with prejudice. While unrelated, the parallel controversies have heightened public interest in Satterthwaite’s claims.
Beyond celebrity intrigue, the case touches on themes of identity, power, and access to justice. Legal experts note that state laws requiring paternity to be established before adulthood, along with jurisdictional limits, have made it nearly impossible for Satterthwaite to force a DNA test. The cost has been significant his legal team estimates over $100,000 in fees and liens have been incurred.
Satterthwaite says he is working on “other cases behind the scenes” and is prepared to continue.
“I may take this to the grave,”
he has said. JAY-Z, meanwhile, continues to deny the allegations through his legal representatives and has not publicly commented since the July withdrawal.
