Jay-Z, the renowned rapper and entrepreneur known as Shawn Carter, was accused in a lawsuit on Sunday of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000, allegedly in conjunction with Sean “Diddy” Combs. An NBC News report revealed that an anonymous accuser, referred to as “Jane Doe,” claimed the assault occurred after she was taken to an MTV Video Music Awards after-party.
The federal lawsuit was reportedly filed in October in the Southern District of New York, naming Combs as a defendant. It was refiled on Sunday to include Carter.
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Texas-based attorney Tony Buzbee, who filed the lawsuit, did not provide any comments. In a lengthy statement on Sunday evening, Carter described the allegations as “idiotic” and accused Buzbee of unprofessional conduct. He stated, “These allegations are so heinous that I urge you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one! Anyone who would commit such a crime against a minor deserves to be imprisoned, wouldn’t you agree?” Carter expressed to NBC News. “These alleged victims deserve real justice if that were the case.”
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York declined to comment on whether the office is pursuing the case after being shown NBC News’ report on the lawsuit.
Buzbee has filed several lawsuits in recent months, all of which have kept the complainants’ identities confidential, accusing Combs of assault and rape. This is the first lawsuit where he has named another high-profile defendant.
In a statement, legal representatives for Combs labeled the lawsuits as “shameless publicity stunts aimed at extracting payments from celebrities who fear falsehoods being spread about them, just as lies have been told about Mr. Combs.” They added, “As his legal team has stated previously, Mr. Combs has complete confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will emerge: Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone—man or woman, adult or minor.”
In September, federal prosecutors in New York charged Combs with racketeering, sex trafficking, and other offenses. He is currently incarcerated at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center after being denied bail for the third time last month. His trial is set for May 5.
Prosecutors stated during a court hearing last month that they are considering bringing additional charges against Combs through a superseding indictment.
Before the lawsuit was refiled on Sunday, Buzbee mentioned in the suit that “Carter received a letter from the Plaintiff’s counsel requesting mediation to resolve this matter.” In response to this letter, which NBC News has reviewed, Carter filed his own lawsuit against the accuser’s attorneys, as noted by Buzbee.
Carter expressed in his statement on Sunday, “You have made a grave error in judgment by assuming that all ‘celebrities’ are the same. I’m not from your world. I’m a young man who emerged from the projects of Brooklyn. We don’t engage in these kinds of games. We have strict codes and values. We protect children.”
The lawsuit alleges that in 2000, when Doe was 13, Combs and Carter raped her at a house party following the MTV Video Music Awards in New York.
