Los Angeles: Kardashian-Jenner matriarch Kris Jenner and her daughter Kim Kardashian have filed a defamation lawsuit against singer Ray J over allegations of a federal racketeering investigation targeting the family.
According to court filings, the SKIMS founder and her 69-year-old mother allege that Ray J, 44, made “blatantly false” statements suggesting that the Kardashians were under criminal investigation. The claims first surfaced in Ray J’s documentary United States vs. Sean Combs, released in May, and continued in a livestream last month.
“Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian have never brought a defamation claim before nor have they been distracted by noise – but this false and serious allegation left no choice,” their lawyer, Alex Spiro, said.
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The lawsuit accuses Ray J of a “sustained campaign of harassment and defamation” spanning more than two decades. “Unable to accept the end of his fleeting relationship with Ms. Kardashian over twenty years ago, Ray J has repeatedly sought to attach himself to Plaintiffs’ names and exploit their prominence for personal gain,” the filing states.
Spiro added that “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.”
Ray J and Kim Kardashian dated for four years before their breakup in 2006. The lawsuit marks the latest legal action involving the high-profile family, emphasizing their ongoing efforts to protect their public reputation.