Jay-Z has refuted a newly amended lawsuit that accuses him of participating in a sexual assault at a 2000 MTV Video Music Awards after-party, calling the claim part of an extortion plot. The accuser, who had previously sued Sean “Diddy” Combs for allegedly raping her at the same event when she was 13, now alleges Jay-Z was involved in the assault as well.
The 24-time Grammy-winning rapper described the allegations as “idiotic” and “heinous in nature” in a statement issued by Roc Nation, his entertainment company. He disclosed that he had preemptively filed a lawsuit against the accuser’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, last month, accusing Buzbee of attempting to blackmail him by threatening to publicize the allegations unless a settlement was reached.
“It made me want to expose you for the fraud you are in a VERY public fashion,” Jay-Z’s statement read. “So no, I will not give you ONE RED PENNY!!”
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The legal battle emerges as part of a broader wave of lawsuits against Combs, who is currently in custody in New York on federal sex trafficking charges.
The accuser, referred to as Jane Doe, claims she gained access to the after-party at a private residence by persuading a limousine driver to let her join. She alleges she was asked to sign a nondisclosure agreement in the limousine, felt incapacitated after consuming a drink at the party, and was then assaulted by Combs, Jay-Z, and another unnamed individual in a bedroom.
Jay-Z’s attorney, Alex Spiro, filed a motion on Monday requesting that the court compel the accuser to disclose her identity, arguing that the lack of evidence and anonymity undermine the credibility of the claims. “Mr. Carter deserves to know the identity of the person who is effectively accusing him — in sensationalized, publicity-hunting fashion — of criminal conduct,” Spiro wrote.
Buzbee, a Houston-based attorney representing numerous sexual assault claimants against Combs, rejected Jay-Z’s accusations, calling them “stupid and laughable.” He stated that his firm’s letter to Jay-Z’s legal team merely sought confidential mediation.
Jay-Z expressed frustration that the allegations might impact his family, noting that he and his wife, Beyoncé, may need to explain the claims to their children. “I mourn yet another loss of innocence,” he wrote.
