Jay-Z’s attorney has filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit accusing the rapper and Sean “Diddy” Combs of drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl at a 2000 house party following the MTV Video Music Awards.
The woman, identified as Jane Doe has alleged that the musicians assaulted her after she became “woozy” from a drink offered by a waitress at the party.
Inconsistencies in her claims have since emerged, with her father telling NBC News that he does not recall driving five hours to pick her up after the alleged incident, as she claimed.
Additionally, representatives for some celebrities she claimed to have interacted with that night, including musicians Benji and Joel Madden, said the artists were on tour at the time.
Jay-Z’s attorney, Alex Spiro, criticised the lawsuit in a statement, saying, “It is stunning that a lawyer would not only file such a serious complaint without proper vetting, but would make things worse by further peddling this false story in the press.”
The rapper, whose legal name is Shawn Carter, issued a scathing rebuttal, accusing the plaintiff’s lawyer, Tony Buzbee, of pursuing the case for “money and fame.”
“This incident didn’t happen and yet he filed it in court and doubled down in the press,” Jay-Z said in a statement to the BBC.
“True justice is coming. We fight FROM victory, not FOR victory. This was over before it began. This 1-800 lawyer doesn’t realise it yet, but soon.”
Sean “Diddy” Combs, who was already facing dozens of sexual assault lawsuits and awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges, also denied the allegations.
His lawyer dismissed the case as part of a larger pattern, saying, “Today, for the second time this week, a Buzbee plaintiff has been exposed. This is the beginning of the end of this shameful money grab.”
According to Jane Doe’s legal filing, the alleged assault took place after she went to a room to lie down. She claimed Jay-Z and Diddy entered the room with a female celebrity, identified as “Celebrity B,” who allegedly watched as both men assaulted her.
Photos from that evening, however, reportedly place Jay-Z and Diddy at a location different from the one described in the lawsuit.
Despite the inconsistencies, Jane Doe and her attorney stood by her claims.
Mr. Buzbee said, “Our client remains fiercely adamant that what she has stated is true, to the best of her memory. We will continue to vet her claims and collect corroborating data to the extent it exists. Because we have interrogated her intensely, she has even agreed to submit to a polygraph. I’ve never had a client suggest that before.”
Jane Doe, now 38 and a mother of two, said she hoped her experience empowers others to come forward, stating, “You should never let what somebody else did ruin or run your life. I just hope I can give others the strength to come forward like I came forward.”
Experts said inconsistencies in allegations of sexual assault are not uncommon, particularly when drugs are allegedly involved.
Erinn Robinson, media relations director for RAINN, explained, “Trauma like rape can have both short- and long-term effects on the brain that influence decision-making and memory. Recall of memories may be fragmented, and details may not be recalled in the right order.”
Robinson added that police departments were trained to handle such cases to ensure allegations are not dismissed solely due to disjointed or inconsistent memories.
