Ray J and Kim Kardashian’s Sex Tape Lawsuits, Explained

Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Getty Images

Last month, Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner filed their first-ever defamation lawsuit against Ray J, after he claimed in multiple interviews that they were going to be the subject of a federal investigation. Ray J, whose real name is William Ray Norwood Jr., is now countersuing the women and bringing up grievances related to his and Kardashian’s 2007 sex tape.

How is it possible that we are still litigating the scandal that launched Kardashian into the stratosphere? I don’t know. Kardashian has since been married twice, had four children, and started a $5 billion shapewear empire. Norwood has been, shall we say, less prolific, which perhaps explains why he’s dragging up old drama. He insists Kardashian was more involved in the release of the tape than she claims, and her lawyer is calling his case a “disjointed rambling distraction.” Here’s what we know so far.

In May, Norwood was featured in the Tubi documentary TMZ Presents: United States v. Sean Combs: Inside the Diddy Trial and said that racketeering charges against the famous family would be “appropriate.” “If you told me that the Kardashians were being charged for racketeering, I might believe it,” he said.

Then, in September, Norwood appeared on a livestream and doubled down. “The federal RICO I’m about to drop on Kris and Kim is about to be crazy,” he said. “Anybody that is cool with Kim, they need to tell her now, the Feds is coming. There’s nothing I can do about it … It’s worse than Diddy.” Norwood did not elaborate on what might be at the center of a Kardashian RICO charge, but he did warn that he was “gonna say a lot of shit.”

Obviously, Kardashian and Jenner did not take the threats of a federal investigation lightly. In October, they filed a defamation suit against Norwood, claiming that he has been “unable to accept the end of his fleeting relationship” with Kardashian and has “repeatedly sought to attach himself to [the family’s] names and exploit their prominence for personal gain.”

“Ray J’s public statements are blatantly false,” their complaint stated. “No such federal investigation exists; no law enforcement agency has initiated any criminal proceedings or investigations related to racketeering charges against Ms. Kardashian or Ms. Jenner; and no credible evidence whatsoever supports these inflammatory allegations.”

In a statement to The Cut, Kardashian and Jenner’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, noted at the time that this was the first time the reality stars had ever filed a defamation claim, writing that “this false and serious allegation left no choice.”

For his part, Norwood told TMZ, “I will not be silenced.” Sure enough, he’s striking back.

On Thursday, Norwood filed a countersuit against Kardashian and Jenner, per TMZ, which rehashes the aftermath of his and Kardashian’s 2007 sex tape and accuses them of breach of contract. At the time, Kardashian sued Vivid Entertainment for distributing the tape (which was filmed in 2003), claiming that it was “being sold completely without my permission or consent.” In his countersuit, Norwood alleges that both Kardashian and Jenner were involved in the release of the tape and then “spent two decades peddling the false story” that it was “leaked against her will,” according to “Page Six.” According to Norwood, Kardashian and Jenner are “furious” that he “no longer wants to play along with their tall tale.”

“Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner’s lawsuit is not about defamation — it’s about publicity, power, and punishment,” Norwood said.

Norwood also claims that Kardashian, Jenner, and Kardashian’s ex-husband Kanye West accused him of sexually assaulting Kardashian while she was asleep, releasing revenge porn, and extortion on an episode of The Kardashians. He appears to be referencing a 2022 episode of the show in which Kardashian speculated about the possibility of a second sex tape, saying, “What if I was fucking sleeping and he stuck a dildo up my ass? I don’t know.” At the time, a source close to Kardashian told TMZ she was joking.

After the episode came out, Norwood told TMZ he was considering a defamation lawsuit, and he says in his current suit that he initiated legal proceedings following that comment. This apparently prompted Kardashian, Jenner, and their production company to enter into a $6 million settlement agreement that barred the Kardashians from mentioning the sex tape on their show. However, he says that Kardashian, Jenner, West, and Kendall Jenner violated that agreement “almost immediately after the Agreement was executed.” Norwood says he is owed $1 million, per their agreement. (It’s unclear whether such an agreement exists.)

In a statement provided to The Cut, Spiro slammed Norwood’s countersuit. “After realizing he is losing the case and losing his way, this disjointed rambling distraction is not intimidating anyone,” Spiro said. “Ray J will lose this frivolous case too.”

Ray J and Kim Kardashian’s Sex Tape Lawsuits, Explained

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