Jay-Z attended the premiere of The Book of Clarence at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles in January 2024. Getty Images
Jay-Z has filed a defamation lawsuit against an anonymous woman who accused him of raping her when she was 13. He claims she made false allegations for financial gain. The lawsuit, filed in Alabama, also accuses her and her lawyers of extortion and conspiracy.
The woman, known as "Jane Doe," previously alleged that both Jay-Z and Sean "Diddy" Combs assaulted her in 2000 at an after-party following the MTV Video Music Awards. However, she dropped the case last month. While Jay-Z denies all claims, Combs faces multiple sexual assault lawsuits and has been indicted on federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges. He has pleaded not guilty.
Jay-Z’s lawsuit states that Doe "voluntarily admitted" to his representatives that no assault occurred. It also accuses her lawyer, Tony Buzbee, of coercing her into filing the lawsuit for a financial settlement. The lawsuit further alleges that Buzbee fabricated a false story to gain media attention and monetary compensation.
Buzbee, however, insists that Doe stands by her accusations and claims the lawsuit has "no legal merit." He also accuses Jay-Z’s investigators of attempting to discredit Doe by allegedly offering money to people to sue him and his law firm. He calls Jay-Z’s lawsuit "another attempt to intimidate and bully" Doe.
Doe's original lawsuit described an incident where a limousine driver working for Combs invited her to a party. She claimed she felt lightheaded and later realized she was assaulted. However, Jay-Z’s lawsuit points out inconsistencies in her statements, including her own admission to NBC News that parts of her story were unclear.
In a court filing on Monday, Doe maintained that her claims were valid. She alleged that two investigators linked to Jay-Z approached her at her home, pressuring her to sign an affidavit retracting the allegations. She refused, saying she felt "intimidated and terrified" by their visit.
Jay-Z, through his company Roc Nation, previously called the accusations "laughable, if not for the seriousness of the claims." He also said the situation has caused immense distress to his family.
His lawsuit alleges that Doe's lawyer, Fortney, told her a day before she withdrew the case that Jay-Z had made threats against her life. Jay-Z’s legal team denies this, calling it "baseless."
Jay-Z’s lawsuit also states that he first learned Doe’s identity in late February and that he has never met or interacted with her.
