Christopher "C.J." Wallace Jr., the son of late rap legend The Notorious B.I.G., is pushing back against efforts by music producer Jonathan Hay to overturn a default judgment in a defamation lawsuit, arguing that Hay spent months avoiding legal service before finally being brought into the case.

Per AllHipHop, the dispute stems from allegations Hay made against Wallace and Sean "Diddy" Combs regarding an alleged incident tied to a 2020 studio session. Hay accused Combs of sexual misconduct and claimed Wallace played a role in arranging the encounter. Both men have denied the allegations.

Wallace subsequently filed a defamation lawsuit, contending that Hay's accusations were false and damaged his reputation. The current legal battle centers on whether Hay should be relieved from a default entered after he failed to respond to the lawsuit.

According to court filings obtained by the outlet, Wallace's attorneys argue Hay has failed to provide evidence showing good cause for setting aside the default. They contend that repeated attempts were made to locate and serve Hay over a four-month period.

The filing states that Wallace's legal team employed multiple process servers and a private investigator before ultimately serving Hay through the Florida Secretary of State. Attorneys for Wallace allege that Hay repeatedly changed locations and provided inaccurate address information, making service difficult.

Hay has argued that he was not properly served and cited other ongoing legal matters and law enforcement referrals related to his allegations as reasons for his failure to respond in a timely manner. Wallace's attorneys, however, characterized those explanations as unsupported and insufficient under federal court standards.

The underlying allegations have attracted attention beyond the defamation dispute. According to USA Today, Combs has also faced separate allegations involving the alleged sexual assault of a minor nearly two decades ago. The music mogul has denied those claims and described them as false.

The legal filing submitted by Wallace's attorneys focuses on procedural issues rather than the merits of Hay's accusations. They argue that Hay has not presented a viable defense to the defamation claims and that allowing the default to be overturned would reward what they describe as months of obstruction.

The case unfolds as Combs continues to face multiple legal challenges. While some allegations have been reviewed by law enforcement and addressed in related litigation, no findings have been made in Wallace's defamation case regarding the truth of Hay's claims.

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