Nationwide — Shawn Carter, widely known as rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z, has been accused in a refiled lawsuit of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000. The suit, initially filed against Sean “Diddy” Combs in October, was amended Sunday to include Carter as a defendant. The anonymous accuser, referred to as “Jane Doe,” claims the incident occurred at an MTV Video Music Awards after-party.
According to NBC News, the lawsuit, filed by Texas-based attorney Tony Buzbee in the Southern District of New York, alleges that Doe was driven to the party by a limousine driver who claimed to work for Combs. Upon arrival at the party, held at a private residence, the accuser says she was coerced into signing a nondisclosure agreement, offered a drink that made her feel unwell, and later sexually assaulted by both Combs and Carter. Carter has strongly denied the allegations, calling them “idiotic” in a statement issued Sunday.
“These allegations are heinous and baseless,” Carter said. “If such a crime occurred, it deserves to be addressed in a criminal court, not through a civil suit. I implore anyone making these claims to seek real justice, not financial gain.” He also accused Buzbee of engaging in unprofessional conduct, alleging the lawsuit was a publicity stunt.
Legal representatives for Combs have similarly dismissed the accusations, describing the lawsuits filed against him as “shameless attempts to extract payments from high-profile individuals through fabricated claims.” Combs, who is currently in custody at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center on unrelated charges of racketeering and sex trafficking, is awaiting trial scheduled for May 5. Federal prosecutors have hinted at the possibility of additional charges against him in a superseding indictment.
The accuser claims that during the party, Carter and Combs entered a room where she was resting and assaulted her while an unnamed female celebrity watched. The lawsuit states that she resisted further assault and ultimately fled the scene, later calling her father from a gas station. She is seeking unspecified damages under New York’s Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act.
Carter expressed frustration over the impact the allegations have on his family, particularly his children. “My wife and I now face the heartbreaking task of explaining these false and malicious claims to our children. This lawsuit, built on greed and lies, only deepens the pain for families like ours,” he said.
Buzbee has previously filed lawsuits against Combs on behalf of anonymous accusers but this marks the first time another high-profile individual has been named. Both Carter and Combs maintain their innocence, stating confidence in the judicial process to clear their names.
