Civil Case Against Jay-Z and Sean Combs That Alleged Rape of a Minor Dismissed
A civil case against Jay-Z and Sean Combs for allegedly raping a 13-year-old female was dismissed Friday.
The Jane Doe filing had been made in mid-December in the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York. The accuser, whose name was not identified, claimed the incident had happened in 2000 at a party after the MTV Music Awards. The dismissal was made at the request of her attorney Anthony Buzbee of the Buzbee Law Firm.
More from WWD
It was dismissed “with prejudice,” meaning that it cannot be filed again. The suit had first been filed against Combs in November and Jay-Z’s name was added to it in mid-December. Combs is still facing federal charges for sex trafficking and racketeering, as well as dozens of civil lawsuits.
A media request for Buzbee, who is representing multiple other individuals who have taken legal action against Combs for alleged sexual misconduct and other charges, had not been acknowledged as of Saturday morning.
Combs, a Grammy winner, entrepreneur and founder of the Sean John label, was arrested in September for racketeering, sex trafficking and other charges. He is being detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center, a federal prison in Brooklyn, as he awaits the start of his trial on May 5.
In a statement issued Friday night, Combs’ attorneys wrote, “Today’s complete dismissal without a settlement by the 1-800 attorney is another confirmation that these lawsuits are built on falsehood, not facts. For months, we have seen case after case be filed by individuals hiding behind anonymity, pushed forward by an attorney more focused on media headlines than legal merit. Just like this claim, the others will fall apart because there is no truth to them. Sean Combs has never sexual assaulted or trafficked anyone, man or woman, adult or minor. No number of lawsuits, sensationalized allegations or media theatrics will change that reality. We will continue to fight these baseless claims and hold those responsible. This is just the first of many that will not hold up in court.”
The music mogul Jay-Z, whose given name is Shawn Carter, posted a lengthy message describing the court’s dismissal on Friday as “a victory.” “The frivolous, fictitious and appalling allegations have been dismissed,” his statement read. “This civil suit was without merit and never going anywhere. The fictional tale that they created was laughable, if not for the seriousness of the claims. I would not wish this experience on anyone on anyone. The trauma that my wife [Beyoncé Knowles], my children, loved ones and I have endured can never be dismissed.”
The Roc Nation founder continued, “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.”
In an interview with NBC News, the Jane Doe accuser said she had not come forward sooner about the alleged 2000 incident because she thought that no one would believe her. In that December interview, she also said that she had “made some mistakes” in her recollection of that night, but maintained that it allegedly happened.
“You should always advocate for yourself and be a voice for yourself,” she told NBC. “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.”
Combs is facing dozens of allegations and multiple lawsuits for alleged sexual misconduct including drugging and raping women and men. Earlier this week he filed a $100 million lawsuit against NBCUniversal for its Peacock documentary “Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy,” which debuted on the streaming service last month. The lawsuit’s claims that filmmaker Ari Mark’s documentary falsely accuses Combs of being responsible for the murders of a few individuals including the musician Chris “Biggie” Wallace and Combs’ former partner Kim Porter, who is the mother of four of his children.
In an interview with WWD last month, Mark said that a request to interview Combs for the documentary had been denied.
Best of WWD
Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
