Grammy-winning rapper and business mogul Jay-Z vehemently denied allegations Sunday evening after being named in a federal lawsuit that accuses him and Sean “Diddy” Combs of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in 2000.
The federal lawsuit was originally filed in October in the Southern District of New York by Texas-based attorney Tony Buzbee, listing Combs as a defendant. It was refiled Sunday to include Jay-Z, whose legal name is Shawn Carter.
In a statement released through his Roc Nation social media account and representative Jana Fleishman, Carter called the lawsuit a “blackmail attempt” and criticized Buzbee directly.
“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,” Carter stated.
“I have no idea how you have come to be such a deplorable human Mr. Buzbee, but I promise you I have seen your kind many times over,” Carter wrote. “My heart and support goes out to true victims in the world, who have to watch how their life story is dressed in costume for profitability by this ambulance chaser in a cheap suit.”
In response to the statement, Buzbee told Newsweek, “Mr. Carter previously denied being the one who sued me and my firm. He even filed his frivolous case under a pseudonym. What he fails to say in his recent statement is my firm sent his lawyer a demand letter on behalf of an alleged victim and that victim never demanded a penny from him. Instead, she only sought a confidential mediation.”
Buzbee added, “Since I sent the letter on her behalf, Mr. Carter has not only sued me, but he has tried to bully and harass me and this plaintiff. His conduct has had the opposite impact. She is emboldened. I’m very proud of her resolve. As far as the allegations in the complaint filed today, we will let the filing speak for itself and will litigate the facts in court, not in the media.”
Newsweek contacted Jay Z’s representative for additional comment via email on Sunday.
The anonymous plaintiff, identified as “Jane Doe,” alleges that the assault occurred after being driven to an MTV Video Music Awards after-party. According to the lawsuit, she was taken to a white house with a U-shaped driveway where she was required to sign what she believed was a non-disclosure agreement.
“These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one!! Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away, would you not agree? These alleged victims would deserve real justice if that were the case,” Carter stated.
Expressing concern for his family, Carter added: “My only heartbreak is for my family. 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. I mourn yet another loss of innocence.”
For Combs, this lawsuit adds to mounting legal challenges. The 55-year-old rapper and record producer faces federal charges of racketeering and sex trafficking and remains in custody at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center.
On November 27, Judge Arun Subramanian denied his latest request for bail, citing “serious and violent crimes” and evidence of witness tampering. His trial is scheduled to begin in May 2024.
Combs’ lawyers recently filed a letter requesting access to a government-provided laptop to assist in his defense. The lawyers claim that since first receiving the laptop on November 25, Combs has faced restrictive conditions that force him to choose between using the laptop and meeting with his attorneys.
Legal representatives for Combs called the suits “shameless publicity stunts, designed to extract payments from celebrities who fear having lies spread about them.” They added that “Mr. Combs has full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone—man or woman, adult or minor.”
If you or somebody you know is a victim of sexual assault, please do not hesitate to call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673).
