The September arrest of music mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs spurred widespread speculation on whether other Hollywood royalty would be implicated in his crimes. On Sunday, Dec. 8, rapper Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, became the first celebrity to be accused of sexual assault in connection to Combs. A woman who initially filed a lawsuit in October accusing Combs of raping her at just 13 years old has now added Carter as a defendant to the civil suit, alleging that the Roc Nation founder also assaulted her.
In the original complaint, the woman, identified as Jane Doe, accused Combs of raping her at an afterparty for the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000. The suit claimed that another individual, initially referred to as Celebrity A, also assaulted the plaintiff that evening. The updated suit identifies Carter as Celebrity A.
CNN reported that Doe’s lawyers reached out to Carter’s team requesting mediation. Instead, Carter “responded to said letter by not only filing an utterly frivolous lawsuit, but by also orchestrating a conspiracy of harassment, bullying and intimidation against Plaintiff’s lawyers, their families, employees and former associates in an attempt to silence Plaintiff from naming Jay-Z,” according to Doe’s lawsuit.
In a lengthy statement posted to the Roc Nation X account, Carter denied the claims, calling them “heinous” and implying that the alleged victim’s lawyer, Tony Buzbee, is a bad actor. “This lawyer, who I have done a bit of research on, seems to have a pattern of these types of theatrics,” Carter wrote.
“My only heartbreak is for my family,” Carter continued, citing the impact the allegations will have on his three children. He closed his statement with a reference to his upbringing in Brooklyn as the basis for his “very strict codes” of protecting children.
The public has not received the statement well, with many accusing Carter of being disingenuous. For some, Carter’s response has actually increased suspicions that he is guilty of the accused crime.
On Monday, Carter’s attorneys filed a motion to deny the plaintiff anonymity. The request urges that the judge require Doe to reveal her name publicly or dismiss the case, a move that has garnered further criticism for the “Empire State of Mind” rapper.
Amid the backlash, Carter has not shied away from public appearances, attending the premiere of Mufasa: The Lion King on Monday evening. The 55-year-old was joined by his wife, Beyoncé, as they celebrated their daughter’s feature film debut as the voice of Princess Kiara.
Beyoncé has yet to comment on the allegations.
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