AceShowbiz - Kim Kardashian and her mother, Kris Jenner, secured a significant legal win as a judge scheduled their defamation trial against Ray J while directing his breach of contract claims into private arbitration.

The defamation lawsuit, filed in October 2025, accuses Ray J, whose real name is William Ray Norwood Jr., of maliciously defaming Kardashian and Jenner. The claims stem from statements Norwood made during a 2025 interview with TMZ and a subsequent livestream, where he implied that Kardashian and Jenner were involved in a federal racketeering investigation. Norwood has denied these allegations and responded with a cross-complaint filed on November 13, 2025, alleging a breach of a settlement agreement.

This legal conflict traces back to an April 2023 settlement that included a non-disparagement clause. It followed Kardashian’s 2022 accusations on an episode of The Kardashians, where she alleged Norwood had sexually assaulted her, distributed revenge porn, and attempted extortion. Norwood threatened legal action, prompting a private settlement in which Kardashian agreed to pay $6 million and refrain from mentioning the sex tape publicly on the show, according to Norwood's cross-complaint.

Norwood contends that within a month of the agreement, Kardashian and Jenner — alongside Kanye West and Kendall Jenner — violated the contract by discussing the tape on a subsequent season of The Kardashians. Norwood claims he alerted them to this material breach, but the parties responded that the contract did not apply to the third season since it was filmed before the agreement took effect.

At a hearing, Norwood’s attorney, Heather Pickerell, argued that if Norwood’s breach of contract claims must be arbitrated, then the defamation claims from Kardashian and Jenner should also be subject to arbitration. Pickerell stated, "Plaintiffs can't be allowed to circumvent a non-disparagement clause by cloaking their claim as a defamation claim." She emphasized that the agreement was designed to cover all future disputes between the involved parties.

Conversely, Kardashian and Jenner’s lawyer, Alex Bergjans, countered that a non-disparagement claim under the contract does not require proving falsity, whereas a defamation claim does. He explained that this distinction allows defamation claims to be pursued in court while breach of non-disparagement claims are handled privately through arbitration.

After considering the arguments and reviewing the matter, Los Angeles County Judge Steven A. Ellis ruled in favor of Kardashian and Jenner. The judge acknowledged that the obligations not to defame or publicly place the plaintiffs in a false light exist independently of the settlement agreement. His ruling granted Kardashian and Jenner’s motion to compel arbitration of Norwood’s cross-complaint while allowing their defamation claims to proceed to trial.

This ruling sets the stage for a courtroom battle over the defamation allegations, while the breach of contract dispute will be resolved in arbitration. The case highlights the complex legal entanglements between the celebrity family and Norwood, centered on sensitive personal and contractual issues involving the infamous sex tape and public statements.

As this high-profile legal saga unfolds, the trial date for Kardashian and Jenner’s defamation claims against Norwood will be closely watched, with private arbitration proceedings addressing the cross-complaint in parallel.