In a dramatic new twist to a long-running celebrity saga, singer Ray J has officially filed a countersuit against reality TV moguls Kim Kardashian and her mother, Kris Jenner. The legal action comes as a direct response to a defamation lawsuit the mother-daughter duo filed against him in October.
The Core of the Legal Battle
The legal dispute, filed on Thursday, centres on a confidential agreement allegedly brokered in 2023. Ray J, whose real name is William Ray Norwood Jr., claims that Kim Kardashian agreed to pay him $6 million to settle all past and future disputes. A key part of this agreement was a promise from all parties to never publicly discuss the infamous sex tape involving Norwood and Kardashian again. This included any references on their popular Hulu show, The Kardashians.
According to the legal documents, the singer alleges that Kardashian and Jenner broke this contract just one month after it was finalized. He states that two episodes from season 3 of The Kardashians contained multiple references to the sex tape, which he views as a clear violation of their deal. The complaint further claims that when confronted, Kardashian and Jenner insisted the agreement did not cover season 3 because those episodes were filmed before the deal was signed.
History and Allegations of a Conspiracy
This new lawsuit digs deep into the origins of the sex tape that launched Kim Kardashian into global fame. Norwood's legal filing reiterates past claims that Kris Jenner arranged for them to sign agreements with the porn company Vivid Entertainment. The tape was eventually released as Kim Kardashian, Superstar in 2007.
Ray J alleges that Kardashian's subsequent lawsuit against Vivid was a "bogus" effort "to create buzz" and that her public statements claiming she never authorized the tape's distribution were "lies." The complaint goes a step further by connecting these alleged actions to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, suggesting a pattern of illegal conspiracy.
Defamation Claims and The Road Ahead
The backdrop to this countersuit is the defamation lawsuit filed by Kardashian and Jenner. They cited comments Ray J made to TMZ and in a Twitch livestream, where he mentioned "racketeering" and a "federal RICO" case against them, as damaging to their reputations.
In his cross-complaint, Norwood argues that their lawsuit itself is a breach of their prior settlement, as "the Agreement does not allow Kardashian and Jenner to push their propaganda publicly in a lawsuit." He is now seeking at least $1 million in damages and a judicial declaration that would free him from their defamation claims.
This legal firefight promises to keep the infamous sex tape in the headlines, revealing new layers to a story that has captivated the public for nearly two decades.
