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A lawyer who has a history of working with Jay-Z’s philanthropic efforts has launched a $25 million lawsuit against Tony Buzbee.

Buzbee, the controversial attorney whose legal approach has been slammed by the 25-time Grammy winner, Shannon Sharpe and others, is alleged to have defamed lawyer Marcy Croft, who has worked extensively with Team Roc, the philanthropic arm of Hov’s Roc Nation company.

In her lawsuit, filed in federal court in Texas on December 17, Croft claims that Buzbee and his Houston-based law firm began a smear campaign on social media, accusing her of felonious misconduct, including “illegal client
solicitation, bribery, intimidation, and obstruction of justice.” She originally filed a similar suit against Buzbee in Mississippi back in March.

According to lawyers representing Croft, the allegations Buzbee made about her are unfounded and “made with actual malice.”

Croft’s attorneys claim that their client has become victim of “deliberate falsehoods,” dating back to December of 2024, when former Buzbee Law Firm client Jose Maldonado sought guidance from Croft. The man is said to have accused the law firm for mishandling client funds. While Croft advised that Maldonado had possibly been victim of a “fraudulent scheme,” she doubted that enough sufficient claims were presented and did not pursue a civil case. Croft recounts hearing a sound similar to a recording device on her call with Maldonado.

The complaint also alleges that the firm targeted Croft on social media, accusing the lawyer of orchestrating an unlawful scheme whereby she hired “agents” who offered former Buzbee clients up to $10,000 to file frivolous lawsuits against him. The lawyer seeks $25 million in compensatory damages and punitive damages, claiming that she was the victim of emotional and reputational harm.

The events Croft recounts happened right as Buzbee was suing Croft and Roc Nation, and Buzbee’s version of the “agents” scheme made it into the lawsuit itself.

That suit was filed just days after Buzbee, representing an anonymous accuser, filed a different lawsuit where the woman, underage at the time, accused Hov and Diddy of raping her back in 2000. That suit was dropped earlier this year.

At the time, Hov responded angrily to the accusation.

“My lawyer received a blackmail attempt, called a demand letter, from a ‘lawyer’ named Tony Buzbee,” Jay-Z wrote in a statement published last December. “What he had calculated was the nature of these allegations and the public scrutiny would make me want to settle.”

“No sir, it had the opposite effect! It made me want to expose you for the fraud you are in a VERY public fashion. So no, I will not give you ONE RED PENNY!!”

Buzbee responded to Complex’s request for comment about the suit.

“She filed a case against me months ago, but only after I sued her in Texas for her illegal activities,” he said of Croft.

Referring to Croft’s Mississippi suit, he continued: “Her frivolous case filed against me was dismissed. My case against her is still pending. She tried to get it dismissed but failed. A Houston judge already looked at my claims against her and acknowledged that her frivolous case is her attempt to spin the press.

“She is a classic bottom feeder. I would describe her as everything that’s wrong with the legal profession. I intend to put her out of business.”