Judge Rules DMX's Estate Sole Owner of Music Rights, Denies Ex-Wife's Claim

A New York judge has ruled that Tashera Simmons, the ex-wife of late rapper DMX, cannot claim a 50% stake in his music catalog and intellectual property rights. The court's decision, made on April 7, 2025, determined that the couple's 2016 divorce settlement did not confer ownership of DMX's copyrights or trademarks to Simmons, but rather addressed royalty payments only. Judge David F. Everett emphasized that the estate is the sole owner of all intellectual property rights that belonged to DMX at the time of his death in 2021. Simmons had argued that a handwritten note in their divorce settlement entitled her to half, but the judge found this interpretation unsupported by the document's language. Additionally, the court noted that Simmons had previously raised similar issues in litigation and signed an agreement that did not mention co-ownership. While Simmons's claim for ownership was denied, the judge did not dismiss her separate claim for unpaid child support.