Grammy-winning rapper Shawn Corey Carter, known professionally as Jay-Z has taken legal action against a woman who previously accused him of rape but later withdrew her claims.
The rapper’s defamation lawsuit alleges that she “voluntarily admitted” to being coerced into making false accusations as part of a calculated effort to extort money and damage his reputation. The woman, who remains anonymous, initially filed her lawsuit in October and refiled it in December, accusing Jay-Z (real name Shawn Carter) and Sean “Diddy” Combs of raping her when she was 13, following the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. Both artists denied the allegations.
Jay-Z’s defamation suit, filed in a federal court in Alabama, also targets the woman’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, and his co-counsel, David Fortney. It accuses them of orchestrating the lawsuit and pressuring their client to fabricate claims.
Buzbee has gained widespread attention for filing multiple lawsuits on behalf of individuals accusing Diddy of various offenses, including sexual misconduct, extortion, and assault. Diddy has denied all allegations and is currently facing federal charges related to sex trafficking and racketeering, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
According to Jay-Z’s lawsuit, the woman admitted to his legal team that her attorneys had influenced her to make false accusations. The suit quotes her as saying, “Buzbee brought Jay-Z into it,” and claims that, despite acknowledging Jay-Z “did not sexually assault (her),” Buzbee “pushed [her] towards going forward” with the fabricated story to strengthen their case and demand more money.
The lawsuit also highlights inconsistencies in the woman’s previous statements, including an interview with NBC News last year, where she reportedly named another celebrity as a guest at the MTV party. However, the lawsuit states that this celebrity was actually performing in a different city that night. Additionally, her father allegedly contradicted her claim that he had picked her up after the supposed assault.
Jay-Z further argues that Buzbee’s firm failed to properly verify the woman’s claims, pointing out her history of mental health issues and a prior assault charge.
In response, Buzbee has denied any wrongdoing and accused Jay-Z’s team of attempting to intimidate the woman into retracting her statements. “Shawn Carter’s investigators have repeatedly harassed, threatened, and harangued this poor woman for weeks, trying to intimidate her and make her recant her story,” Buzbee told BBC News. “She won’t – instead, she has stated repeatedly she stands by her claims.”
Jay-Z, who is married to Beyoncé, asserts that the false allegations have caused both personal and professional harm, including an estimated $20 million loss in business contracts for his company, Roc Nation. He also cites the emotional distress it has placed on his family, particularly his children.
