CJ Wallace is one step closer to closing out his defamation case against Jonathan Hay after a federal judge rejected Hay’s attempt to revive his defense.
A judge in Tampa, Florida, denied Hay’s bid to set aside a default judgment and scheduled an October 8 hearing to decide how much Wallace may be awarded in damages.
Wallace sued Hay after the producer and publicist made a series of allegations tying him to Sean “Diddy” Combs. Hay has accused Wallace of helping lure him to an encounter where he says Diddy assaulted him.
Wallace has repeatedly denied the claims and accused Hay of spreading false allegations after their working relationship fell apart. Hay never filed a proper response to Wallace’s lawsuit, leading the court to enter a default in May.
Lil’ Kim with her daughter Royal Reign and The Notorious BIG’s son CJ Wallace backstage pic.twitter.com/SkX52jmQl2
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He later claimed he had not been properly served, but the judge was not persuaded. Court filings say Wallace’s team made 17 attempts through three process servers, hired a private investigator, and conducted a skip trace before serving Hay through the Florida Secretary of State.
Hay also blamed another California lawsuit for his failure to respond but the judge rejected that explanation.
The bad blood dates back to Ready to Dance, a 2020 Biggie remix project Hay worked on with Wallace and producer Willie Mack. Wallace says the project was shelved after its first single underperformed.