A newly refiled civil lawsuit accuses Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl at an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty in 2000. The complaint, which was first shared with NBC News, was amended and submitted Sunday to the District Court of the Southern District of New York, also implicates disgraced music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, who was previously named as a defendant in October.
The plaintiff, who has chosen to remain anonymous, alleges that Combs and Carter assaulted her in the presence of an unidentified female celebrity who purportedly witnessed the incident but did not intervene. According to the suit, no one at the high-profile party attempted to stop the alleged assault.
The lawsuit was filed by attorney Tony Buzbee, who is also pursuing multiple lawsuits against Combs, including allegations of sexual violence, trafficking, and other criminal behavior.
Jay-Z, who has now been named a defendant, has vehemently denied the allegations. On Monday, Roc Nation, his record label, issued a statement in which Carter called the claims a “blackmail attempt.” He accused Buzbee of attempting to coerce a financial settlement.
“My lawyer received a blackmail attempt, called a demand letter, from a ‘lawyer’ named Tony Buzbee,” Carter’s statement reads. “What he had calculated was the nature of these allegations and the public scrutiny would make me want to settle.”
Carter challenged the accuser to pursue criminal charges rather than a civil lawsuit, stating, “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?”
He also expressed heartbreak over the impact the allegations have had on his 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,” he said. “I mourn yet another loss of innocence.”
That same day, Jay-Z filed a motion to dismiss the suit, arguing that the plaintiff’s anonymity undermines his ability to defend himself. In the motion, his attorney, Alex Spiro, specifically requested that Jane Doe disclose her identity “to properly defend himself against this false claim through the legal process in a transparent manner.” The filing accuses the plaintiff’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, of “[amplifying] false narratives, exploiting the legal process to generate media attention and damage Mr. Carter’s reputation.” Spiro also called for an expedited hearing to address the case’s high-profile nature and the potential harm to Carter’s public image.
Buzbee, who has filed multiple lawsuits against Combs in recent months, responded to Carter’s filing on social media Sunday, disputing the claim that the lawsuit was an attempt at extortion. “Mr. Carter previously denied being the one who sued me and my firm. He filed his frivolous case under a pseudonym,” Buzbee wrote. “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. 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.”
Representatives for Combs have consistently denied all allegations against him. Meanwhile, Combs is currently detained in a Brooklyn detention center, awaiting trial on federal charges, including racketeering and sex trafficking. He was denied bail for a third time last month, with his trial set to begin May 5.
The inclusion of Carter in the lawsuit marks a significant escalation in a case that has already drawn intense public scrutiny. Whether the allegations against the hip-hop icon will lead to further legal consequences remains to be seen.
This story is still developing.