Lawsuit accusing Jay-Z of assaulting a minor dropped: All you need to know

A civil lawsuit accusing American rapper Jay-Z of raping a minor in 2000 has been dropped. The lawsuit, filed in December 2024 by a woman under the pseudonym Jane Doe to protect her identity, alleged that the rapper had assaulted her when she was underage.

Jane Doe, represented by lawyer Tony Buzbee has “voluntarily dismissed with prejudice” the civil suit brought by her against Jay-Z in the United States District Court, Southern District of New York. This essentially means that she would not be able to refile the suit again as it exists now.

The suit initially named Sean “Diddy” Combs as the defendant in October, alleging that Combs and another celebrity raped Jane Doe at an MTV Music Video Awards after-party when she was thirteen years old. Jay-Z, whose legal name is Shawn Carter, was added to the suit in December.

Upon the dismissal of the suit, a statement released by the Jay-Z-owned company Roc Nation expressed disappointment in the system which makes it easy for money-minded lawyers to exploit baseless claims to malign celebrities. The statement read,

“Today is a victory. The frivolous, fictitious and appalling allegations have been dismissed. This civil suit was without merit and never going anywhere. The fictional tale they created was laughable, if not for the seriousness of the claims. I would not wish this experience on anyone. The trauma that my wife, my children, loved ones and I have endured can never be dismissed. This 1-800 lawyer gets to file a suit hiding behind Jane Doe, and when they quickly realize that the money grab is going to fail, they get to walk away with no repercussions. The system has failed. The court must protect victims, OF COURSE, while with the same ethical responsibility, the courts must protect the innocent from being accused without a shred of evidence. May the truth prevail for all victims and those falsely accused equally.”

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Jane Doe’s allegations

Jane Doe’s initial suit did not identify Jay-Z by name. He was mentioned as ‘Celebrity A,’ according to a report by CNN. According to the refiled lawsuit which mentioned Jay-Z by name, the then thirteen-year-old Jane Doe attempted to gain entry into the Radio City Music Hall in New York City where a show was taking place. It was Combs’ limousine driver who allegedly spoke to Jane Doe and told her about the after-party, later bringing her to the party. BBC’s detailing of the charges explains that Jane Doe alleges she had to sign what appeared to be a non-disclosure document, after which she was given a drink that made her feel “woozy.” Jane Doe alleged that she was then raped by Jay-Z and then by Combs while an unidentified female celebrity was also present. The alleged victim fought back and escaped.

Jay-Z had vehemently denied the allegations since December, and actively fought to have Jane Doe withdraw the suit against him. His lawyers had also filed a complaint against Tony Buzbee, Jane Doe's lawyer. Calling Buzbee a “fraud” who should have filed criminal charges instead of a civil suit, Jay-Z filed a motion to have Jane Doe reveal her identity which was struck down by a judge.

While talking to NBC in December, Jane Doe had admitted to a lack of consistency in her statements, which she attributed to faults of memory of that night. Yet, the woman definitely stood by her allegations and emphasized that people should stand up for themselves.

Apart from the statement released by Jay-Z, Combs’ lawyer has also released a statement that maintains Combs’ innocence. Combs also stands accused on multiple counts involving racketeering and s*x trafficking. Although Jay-Z’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, had admitted to CNN that Combs and Jay-Z have known each other professionally, he iterated that Jay-Z “has nothing to do with that case.”