US rapper and business mogul Jay-Z has strongly denied allegations in a lawsuit claiming that he, alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs, drugged and raped a 13-year-old girl at a party in 2000.
The accuser, identified as “Jane Doe,” alleges the assault occurred at a house party following the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) in New York. She also claims an unnamed female celebrity was present during the incident.
Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, called the lawsuit a “blackmail attempt” in a statement. Mr. Combs, currently in jail awaiting trial for separate sex-trafficking and other charges, has also denied the allegations.
The lawsuit, initially filed in October and amended on Sunday to include Mr. Carter as a defendant, was brought under New York’s Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act by Texas-based lawyer Tony Buzbee. Mr. Buzbee has recently filed several lawsuits accusing Mr. Combs of assault and rape. The hip-hop mogul is set to face a criminal trial on May 5.
In his statement, posted to social media, Mr. Carter said:
“My lawyer received a blackmail attempt, called a demand letter, from a ‘lawyer’ named Tony Buzbee. What he had calculated was the nature of these allegations and the public scrutiny would make me want to settle. No sir, it had the opposite effect! It made me want to expose you for the fraud you are in a VERY public fashion. So no, I will not give you ONE RED PENNY!!”
Mr. Combs’s legal team also dismissed the lawsuit, calling it a “shameless publicity stunt” designed to exploit celebrities’ fear of public scandals. They stated that the judicial process would prove Mr. Combs’s innocence amidst over 30 other lawsuits against him.
According to the legal filing, Jane Doe claims she was dropped off at the VMAs at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan in 2000 by a friend. She reportedly approached limousine drivers outside the venue in an attempt to gain entry to the event. One driver allegedly told her she “fit what Diddy was looking for” and later drove her to a party at a white house.
The lawsuit states that upon arrival, she was asked to sign a document she believes was a non-disclosure agreement. She observed widespread drug use, including cocaine, and was offered a drink that made her feel “woozy.” Feeling unwell, she went into a room to lie down.
The legal filing alleges that Mr. Combs, Mr. Carter, and a female celebrity (referred to as “Celebrity B”) entered the room, where the assault occurred. It claims Mr. Combs and Mr. Carter raped her while Celebrity B watched. The plaintiff fought back and escaped when Mr. Combs hesitated, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and states the plaintiff suffers from PTSD and depression stemming from the alleged incident.
Mr. Carter, married to Beyoncé and a father of three, expressed his heartbreak for his family in his statement:
“My wife and I will have to sit our children down, one of whom is at the age where her friends will surely see the press and ask questions about the nature of these claims, and explain the cruelty and greed of people.”
