US rapper Jay-Z has denied allegations that he and Sean “Diddy” Combs drugged and raped a 13-year-old girl at a party in 2000, describing the lawsuit as a “blackmail attempt.”
The anonymous accuser, identified as “Jane Doe,” claims the incident occurred after the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) in New York.
The lawsuit, initially filed in October and refiled on Sunday, also names Mr. Combs, who is currently in jail facing unrelated sex-trafficking charges.
His legal team dismissed the allegations as “shameless publicity stunts.”
According to the lawsuit, Jane Doe was dropped off at the VMAs venue by a friend and approached a limousine driver who claimed to work for Mr. Combs.
The driver allegedly told her she “fit what Diddy was looking for” and later drove her to a party at a white house.
Upon arrival, she says she was asked to sign what she believes was a non-disclosure agreement.
She claims to have seen several celebrities at the party, where drug use, including cocaine, was rampant.
The accuser alleges she felt disoriented after drinking a beverage offered by a waitress and went to lie down in a room.
Moments later, Jay-Z, Mr. Combs, and a female celebrity referred to as “Celebrity B” allegedly entered the room.
The lawsuit claims Mr. Combs approached her with a “crazed look” and grabbed her, saying, “You are ready to party!”
It further alleges Jay-Z held her down and raped her, followed by Mr. Combs, while Celebrity B watched. Jane Doe reportedly resisted and eventually escaped.
The lawsuit, filed under New York’s Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act, seeks unspecified damages.
It states that the plaintiff continues to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression stemming from the alleged attack.
Jay-Z responded to the accusations on social media, expressing outrage and calling the lawsuit a money-driven scheme.
He stated, “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!!”
He also shared his distress over the potential impact on his family, particularly his eldest daughter, whose friends might read about the case.
Mr. Combs’s legal team also rejected the claims, calling them “lies” designed to extort money from celebrities.
They expressed confidence that the judicial process would prove his innocence.
Mr. Combs is scheduled to face a criminal trial on May 5, 2025, related to separate sex-trafficking charges.
The refiled lawsuit has added to the mounting legal troubles faced by both music moguls, casting a shadow over their personal and professional lives.
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