Jay-Z has forcefully denied allegations of sexual assault involving a minor, calling the claims a calculated attempt at blackmail.
The accusation emerged from a civil lawsuit filed by an anonymous accuser, who alleges the music mogul, along with Sean “Diddy” Combs, raped her at an MTV Video Music Awards after-party in 2000. The accuser was 13 years old at the time.
In a statement to E! News, Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, expressed the personal toll the allegation takes on his family, particularly his children: 12-year-old Blue Ivy and 7-year-old twins Rumi and Sir.
“My only heartbreak is for my family,” he said. “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, and explain the cruelty and greed of people.”
He added, “I mourn yet another loss of innocence. Children should not have to endure such at their young age. It is unfair to have to try to understand inexplicable degrees of malice meant to destroy families and human spirit.”
Lawsuit and Response
The lawsuit, originally filed in October and refiled in New York last week, alleges that Jay-Z raped the girl while Combs and another individual referred to as “Celebrity B” watched.
The suit claims the girl was taken to the after-party under false pretenses by a limousine driver who said she “fit what Diddy was looking for.” After denying her entry to the awards ceremony, the driver allegedly invited her to the party.
Jay-Z vehemently denied the allegations in a statement released via his Roc Nation platform. He specifically called out the accuser’s lawyer, Tony Buzbee, for attempting to extort him.
“My lawyer received a blackmail attempt, called a demand letter, from a ‘lawyer’ named Tony Buzbee,” Jay-Z said. “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!!”
Jay-Z urged Buzbee to pursue a criminal complaint instead of a civil suit if the allegations were genuine.
“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? These alleged victims would deserve real justice if that were the case.”
Combs’ Denial
Diddy’s representatives also denied the accusations.
“This amended complaint and the recent extortion lawsuit against Mr. Buzbee exposes his barrage of lawsuits against Mr. Combs for what they are: shameless publicity stunts, designed to extract payments from celebrities who fear having lies spread about them, just as lies have been spread about Mr. Combs.”
They added, “As his legal team has said before, Mr. Combs has full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone — man or woman, adult or minor.”
Background on Tony Buzbee
Black Virginia News Publisher and BlackPressUSA.com correspondent Lauren Burke reported that Buzbee has a history of filing high-profile lawsuits against wealthy Black entertainers and athletes, including Deshaun Watson, Travis Scott, and now Jay-Z and Combs.
He previously represented over 120 clients who sued Scott following the deadly 2021 Astroworld Festival crowd surge.
Burke also drew attention to Buzbee’s political affiliations. Though he ran as a Democrat for the Texas State House in 2002, he supported Republican Rick Perry’s 2012 presidential campaign and hosted a fundraiser for Donald Trump in 2016.
Jay-Z concluded his statement by hinting at potential legal action.
“You have made a terrible error in judgement thinking that all ‘celebrities’ are the same. I’m not from your world. I’m a young man who made it out of the projects of Brooklyn. We don’t play these types of games. We have very strict codes and honor. We protect children, you seem to exploit people for personal gain.
“I look forward to showing you just how different I am.”