Rapper Jay-Z has responded strongly to a lawsuit accusing him, alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs, of drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl at a house party following the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards in New York.
The anonymous accuser, identified as “Jane Doe,” alleges she was assaulted at a party where an unnamed female celebrity was also present.
In a statement, Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, dismissed the lawsuit as a “blackmail attempt.”
“This is a calculated effort to exploit public scrutiny to force a settlement,” Carter wrote in a social media post. “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!!”
Sean Combs, who is currently in jail awaiting trial on unrelated sex-trafficking charges, also denied the allegations. His legal team described the amended lawsuit as a “shameless publicity stunt” aimed at extracting payments from celebrities. “The judicial process will show Mr. Combs to be innocent of all allegations,” they stated.
The lawsuit, originally filed in October and amended on Sunday to include Jay-Z as a defendant, was brought under New York’s Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act by Texas-based attorney Tony Buzbee.
Buzbee has filed numerous lawsuits in recent months accusing Combs of assault and rape, with Combs already facing 30 other legal cases. He is scheduled for a criminal trial on May 5.
The accuser claims she was dropped off at the VMAs at Radio City Music Hall by a friend and approached limousine drivers outside the venue in an attempt to gain access. According to the lawsuit, one driver, who said he worked for Combs, suggested she “fit what Diddy was looking for” and later drove her to a party at a white house, where the alleged assault occurred.
Jay-Z’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, and publicist have not yet responded to requests for comment.
The case comes amid mounting scrutiny over allegations against high-profile figures in the music industry, with both Carter and Combs denying all accusations and pledging to fight the claims in court.
