Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner can continue pursuing their defamation lawsuit against Ray J after a Los Angeles judge rejected his bid to dismiss the case under California's anti-SLAPP law.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Steven A. Ellis denied the motion filed by Ray J, whose legal name is William Ray Norwood Jr., finding that Kardashian and Jenner had presented enough evidence for their defamation and false light claims to move forward. The case is currently set for trial on March 6, 2028.
Kardashian and Jenner sued Norwood in October 2025 over statements he made during a May television appearance and a September livestream. They allege he falsely suggested they were involved in racketeering and were facing, or could soon face, a federal criminal investigation. Norwood has denied acting with malice and argued that his statements were opinion, hypothetical commentary, or otherwise protected speech.
Ellis found that the statements could reasonably be interpreted as accusing Kardashian and Jenner of criminal conduct. He concluded that the evidence they submitted was sufficient to give their claims at least minimal merit, the showing required at this stage to defeat Norwood's motion.
California's anti-SLAPP law is designed to provide an early way to challenge lawsuits that target protected speech or petitioning activity. A claim challenged under the statute can continue if the person bringing it demonstrates a probability of prevailing. Clearing that threshold does not establish that the statements were defamatory or determine who will ultimately win the case.
Norwood also argued that some of his statements were protected by litigation privilege because they concerned legal action he was contemplating against Kardashian and Jenner. The privilege generally protects certain communications connected to judicial proceedings, but Ellis rejected that defense as a basis for dismissing the claims at this stage.
Norwood's attorney, Howard King, said his client plans to appeal the ruling. California law permits an immediate appeal from an order granting or denying an anti-SLAPP motion. Under California Supreme Court precedent, an appeal from the denial generally stays further proceedings on the affected claims while the appeal is pending.
A separate dispute between the parties is proceeding outside the defamation case. Norwood filed a cross-complaint in November 2025 accusing Kardashian and Jenner of breaching a 2023 settlement tied to their longstanding dispute over a sex tape involving Kardashian and Norwood. He claims the agreement included a $6 million payment and restrictions on further public discussion of the tape. Kardashian and Jenner have disputed his allegations.
In April, Ellis ordered Norwood's contract claims into private arbitration while allowing Kardashian and Jenner's defamation claims to remain in court. The March 6, 2028 trial date remains on the calendar, although an appeal of the anti-SLAPP ruling could pause proceedings before then.
