Warning: This article contains discussions of sexual assault that some readers may find distressing.
Jay-Z has filed a lawsuit against the woman who accused him of rape, as well as her legal team, after the case against him was dropped.
The anonymous plaintiff, referred to as Jane Doe, alleged last year that the hip-hop mogul raped her when she was 13. She claimed the incident took place at an afterparty for the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000. Additionally, she accused Sean “Diddy” Combs of drugging and raping her.
The lawsuit was initially filed against Combs in October 2023, with Jay-Z—real name Shawn Carter—added to the case in December. Carter and his legal team have consistently denied the allegations.
At the time, Jay-Z issued a strong public statement, claiming the accusations were an extortion attempt. He said in part:
“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!!”
With the accusations now withdrawn, Jay-Z has taken legal action. On Monday, March 3, he filed a lawsuit in Alabama, where the plaintiff resides, targeting Jane Doe and her lawyers, Tony Buzbee and David Fortney.
According to Carter’s lawsuit, the woman admitted to his representatives that she fabricated the allegations. His legal team claims:
“The woman has voluntarily admitted directly to representatives of Mr. Carter that the story brought before the world in court and on global television was just that: a false, malicious story.”
However, the lawsuit does not specify when, how, or to whom the alleged admission was made, as reported by The New York Times.
In response, Buzbee dismissed Jay-Z’s lawsuit as baseless, maintaining that his client still stands by her claims. He stated:
“After speaking with Jane Doe today, it appears that the quotes attributed to her in the lawsuit are completely made up, or they spoke to someone who isn’t Jane Doe.
“This is just another attempt to intimidate and bully this poor woman that we will deal with in due course. We won’t be bullied or intimidated by frivolous cases.”
The case is ongoing.
