Jay-Z has filed a defamation lawsuit against a woman who previously accused him of rape but later withdrew her claims. He argues that she was pressured into making false allegations as part of a scheme to extort money and ruin his reputation.

In October, the anonymous woman filed her initial lawsuit. She claimed that Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, along with Sean “Diddy” Combs, raped her when she was just 13 years old after the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. Both rappers have denied these accusations.
Jay-Z’s legal action, lodged in a federal court in Alabama, also targets the woman’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, and his colleague David Fortney. Jay-Z claims they were behind her lawsuit. Buzbee is known for taking on multiple high-profile cases involving sexual misconduct allegations against Combs, all of which Combs has denied.
Currently, Combs is facing serious legal challenges, including federal charges related to sex trafficking and racketeering, which he has pleaded not guilty to.
The defamation suit states that the woman told Jay-Z’s legal team her attorneys pressured her to make the accusations. It mentions that she admitted Jay-Z never assaulted her. The suit claims Buzbee pushed her to proceed with the false accusations, presumably to strengthen her case for financial gain.
The lawsuit also highlights inconsistencies in her past interviews. For instance, she named a celebrity guest from the MTV event who was actually performing in a different city that night. Additionally, her father’s account contradicted her claims about him picking her up after the alleged incident. Jay-Z’s team asserts that Buzbee’s firm didn’t thoroughly investigate these claims, pointing to the woman’s reported history of mental health issues.
Buzbee, however, refutes any wrongdoing. He alleges that Jay-Z’s team has been intimidating the woman, trying to force her to retract her statements. Buzbee insists that she remains firm in her claims, saying the lawsuit has “no legal merit.”
Jay-Z, who is married to singer Beyoncé, claims that the allegations have caused him significant personal and professional harm. This includes losing important business contracts, estimated at around $20 million annually, and affecting his family’s emotional well-being, especially his children.