Jay-Z claims the attorney linked to Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ combined rape accusation.
Several weeks prior to Jay-Z’s public identification in a lawsuit regarding the alleged rape of an unnamed teenage girl alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs in 2000, the rap mogul known as Shawn Carter was sent a letter from the plaintiff’s attorney warning that they would “promptly file” a “public lawsuit” against him if he did not consent to resolving the claims via mediation for a monetary settlement, according to his legal representatives.
Instead, his attorneys filed a lawsuit against the lawyer associated with the demand, Tony Buzbee, naming Jay-Z as a John Doe. Buzbee has initiated over 20 civil lawsuits, initially filed by unnamed plaintiffs, against Combs alleging sexual misconduct, and has leveraged Instagram, a phone hotline, and a press conference to seek clients.
Jay-Z’s attorneys alleged that Buzbee is attempting to “extort excessive amounts” from him through fabricated assault accusations; they mentioned receiving correspondence concerning two clients, but only one has been formally lodged by the unidentified woman. “Plaintiff currently has a gun pointed at him,” they stated in the lawsuit, submitted on 18 November in Los Angeles.
“Either continuously pay an outrageous amount of money to prevent defendants from the broad dissemination of extremely false claims of sexual assault that would bring shame upon Plaintiff and seriously damage plaintiff’s reputation, family, career, and means of living, or confront the risk of countless civil lawsuits and devastating financial and personal loss.”
Jay-Z refutes the claims and stated that “anyone who would perpetrate such a crime against a minor deserves to be imprisoned.” Combs is incarcerated awaiting trial for federal charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, and he has refuted the accusations.
Jay-Z aims to have the case dismissed, arguing that the court lacks jurisdiction for a lawsuit like this.
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His attorney Alex Spiro requested the judge to accelerate the hearing on the dismissal motion, “because of the extremely sensitive nature of this issue and the considerable media attention.”
Spiro referred to the situation as “extortion.” [Carter] is not referred to, mentioned, or involved in any manner in the criminal inquiry concerning Mr. Combs. He is not a target nor a person of interest in that inquiry.”
Jay-Z’s attorneys have contended that the unidentified woman ought to submit her complaint using her actual name, asserting that there is inadequate justification for her anonymity. “Mr. Carter has the right to know who is essentially accusing him – in an exaggerated, attention-seeking manner – of illegal actions, seeking substantial monetary damages, and damaging a reputation built over many years,” stated attorney Spiro.
On December 8, Buzbee revised the lawsuit to identify Carter, who was earlier referred to as a John Doe and described as a “celebrity and public figure,” as having raped the girl alongside Combs in 2000, when she was 13 years old.
The next day, attorneys for Jay-Z announced that he was the John Doe linked to the lawsuit against Buzbee.
In a statement to the public, Jay-Z labeled Buzbee’s actions as “blackmail,” asserted that Buzbee committed “a grave mistake in judgment,” and expressed concern about how the allegations impacted his family with Beyoncé, especially his eldest daughter, Blue Ivy, who is 12.
Buzbee countered by accusing Jay-Z of “masterminding a harassment conspiracy” aimed at him and other attorneys in his firm to intimidate and mute his client.
On Monday, Buzbee informed the New York Times that “issuing a standard litigation demand letter” was not equivalent to extortion or blackmail, and had requested a “private meeting” with Jay-Z to safeguard his client’s privacy.
“We will not become entangled in a foolish distraction that aims to center attention on the lawyers instead of the serious accusations presented by a brave woman,” Buzbee stated to the Times.
