Years after Jay-Z Carter avoided taking a DNA test to confirm the paternity of his alleged “illegitimate son,” netizens are marveling at the striking resemblance shared between the two men.
Aside from the current lawsuit that rap icon Jay-Z Carter, 55, is facing, a 31-year-old man named Rymir Satterthwaite is slamming the musician and businessman for continuing to evade acknowledgment of the alleged fact that Carter is his father. Meanwhile, social media users who have seen photos of Satterthwaite are convinced that the two men share genetics.
User comment about Jay-Z Carter and Rymir Satterthwaite, posted on December 11, 2024 | Source: Facebook/Daily Mail
Reacting to the images included in a Daily Mail article regarding what Satterhwaite had to say about his alleged dad, a Facebooker remarked, “That’s his son. He can’t deny that. Identical.” “That Is [sic] totally his son. The resemblance is crazy,” echoed another.
Honing in on specific facial similarities, a spectator noted, “Looking at the photo of the son & Jay-Z, they look alike alot [sic], look at the lips, nose & eyes,” while someone else opined, “He looks more like Jay Z than Jay Z does!”
“Strong Jay-Z dominating Genes all over. You can’t deny this. This guy must just ignore him and move on with his life,” added a netizen. Another chimed in with, “The resemblance is uncanny.”
X users also joined the resemblance discussion, with one person writing, “Oh he definitely looks like him.” “That’s his kid,” stated an observer, while another user on X highlighted, “This is really his son, hence he doesn’t want to take that DNA test.”
Jay-Z Carter at the premiere of “The Book Of Clarence” in Los Angeles, California on January 5, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
Speaking to the Daily Mail about the situation, Satterthwaite divulged, “My late mother, Wanda, was just 16 years old when she became pregnant with me, and for years I have sought clarity about my identity.”
He went on to disclose, “Despite my efforts, Mr. Carter has never once written a letter to me to address these claims – whether to deny or acknowledge paternity, or to address why his attorney’s [sic] committed this fraud.”
In 2023, Satterthwaite, who has been dubbed the “Empire State Of Mind” rapper’s “illegitimate son,” claimed that Carter has been “abusing the legal system” by avoiding taking a paternity test for over a decade.
Jay-Z Carter at the 40/40 Club Pop-Up during Fanatics Fest in New York City on August 16, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
As a result, Satterthwaite, who has been attempting to prove that Carter is his father since he was 21 years old, took the matter to the Supreme Court to attempt to “unseal the case and force Carter to take a DNA test.”
Concerning Satterthwaite’s reason for pursuing the matter, the 31-year-old New Jersey native clarified that he is simply seeking Carter’s acknowledgment and for justice to be served.
“This is not going to be over until justice is served. I just want to live my life and, when it is all said and done, I hope that Jay-Z would want to be a part of my life, if that is God’s will. I won’t stop fighting for this until I win. And I will win because the law is on our side,” stated Satterthwaite.
His 2023 filing requested that the court unseal documents dating back to 2012, as Satterthwaite argued that by keeping the case under wraps, he has been prohibited from “due process.”
Initially, Satterthwaite had filed the motion with the Supreme Court. However, after the court rejected it due to its lack of jurisdiction “to re-open matters in the appeals court or to unseal records in the trial court,” he refiled the motion in the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court in February 2023.
In response to Satterthwaite’s filing, Carter’s attorneys penned a letter to the Daily Mail in which they denied all his allegations, adding, “The allegations have been previously reviewed thoroughly by the courts and have been refuted. I am sure that will be the outcome of whatever filings Mr. Satterthwaite […] may be currently considering.”
Jay-Z Carter at the world premiere of “The Harder They Fall” during the 65th BFI London Film Festival in London, England on October 6, 2021 | Source: Getty Images
The paternal saga has continued this year (2024), as Satterthwaite has used the recent allegations made against Carter to shed more light on his situation. These allegations accuse Carter of sexually assaulting a minor in 2000, alongside famous musician Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Sean “Diddy” Combs and Jay-Z Carter at the Pre-Grammy Gala and Grammy Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Sean “Diddy” Combs in Beverly Hills, California on January 25, 2020 | Source: Getty Images
Carter and his legal team drafted a lengthy response to the allegations, which they shared on social media. In the statement, the “Big Pimpin'” artist vehemently denied the claims and clarified that he will seek to clear his name and prove that the lawyer pursuing the lawsuit, Tony Buzbee, is not credible.
The rap mogul also expressed, “My only heartbreak is for my family. My wife and I will have to sit our children down, one of whom is at the age where her friends will surely see the press and ask questions about the nature of these claims, and explain the cruelty and greed of people. I mourn yet another loss of innocence.”
Jay-Z Carter, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, and Blue Ivy Carter at the Los Angeles premiere of “Mufasa: The Lion King” in Hollywood, California on December 9, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
Other parts of Carter’s response emphasized how he has upstanding morals and values, and how he would never tolerate the harm of children nor be the one inflicting such harm.
Reacting to his alleged dad’s statement, Satterthwaite expressed disappointment at the fact that Carter responded to the allegations with “deflection and attacks.”
“If Mr. Carter values the ideals of honor and protecting children, as he claims in his letter, he should step forward with transparency. He continues to deflect and avoid,” said Satterthwaite, who also referenced his situation with Carter.
Jay-Z Carter spotted out in New York City on August 1, 2022 | Source: Getty Images
Satterthwaite’s paternity claims that have garnered recent attention date all the way back to 1992 when his mother alleged she had relations with Jay-Z Carter before the star’s career took off. In 2014, Satterthwaite, who was 21 at that time, sued Carter.
The lawsuit, which alleged the rapper had an affair with Satterthwaite’s mom in 1992, was first filed in a civil court in December 2014. However, the court threw it out because Carter and his lawyer reportedly cooked up false information in court.
Jay-Z Carter at the Criminal Justice Reform Organization Launch in New York City on January 23, 2019 | Source: Getty Images
Satterthwaite’s mom had told him that she thinks the rap mogul fathered him when he was eight years old. Years later, in 2018, Satterthwaite claimed that his alleged father had been using his money and influence to avoid taking DNA tests that could prove he was his son for more than eight years.
The now 31-year-old’s request for a paternity test kept getting declined because the judge was convinced his father had been found. Initially, the matter remained unresolved until a birth certificate revealed that no other man registered as his father was submitted as evidence.
Jay-Z Carter speaking onstage at the City of Hope Spirit of Life Gala in Santa Monica, California on October 11, 2018 | Source: Getty Images
According to Satterthwaite, a man named Robert Graves was initially listed as his father until 2011 when a DNA test confirmed he was not the father. Reportedly, Carter was asked to take the test as well but refused.
Jay-Z Carter at the 40/40 Club Celebrates 18-Year Anniversary With Star-Studded Event in New York City on August 28, 2021 | Source: Getty Images
Aside from evading the paternity test, Carter has reportedly also used his music to express his thoughts on Satterthwaite’s claim of being his son.
His song “Heard About Us” addressed the allegation by likening the claim to legendary late artist Michael Jackson’s hit “Billie Jean,” which is the song Jackson sang to debunk rumors he had fathered a child with an obsessed fan.