JAY-Z Sues Accuser, Claims She Admitted Allegations Were False
JAY-Z is firing back at the woman who accused him of rape in December 2024, suing her for what he calls a deliberate attempt to ruin his reputation and extort him for money. The lawsuit, filed on Monday, March 3, claims that the accuser, known as Jane Doe, admitted to making up the allegations and that her lawyer, Tony Buzbee, pushed her into doing it.
JAY-Z’s Lawsuit: “Malicious” Accusations for Money
According to Billboard, JAY-Z’s legal team accuses Doe and Buzbee of “malicious prosecution, abuse of process, and civil conspiracy.” They claim the two used the legal system and media to spread false accusations about the rapper, whose real name is Shawn Corey Carter.
“Defendants devised and executed their plan to accuse Mr. Carter of sexual assault and used national news and media outlets to disseminate the fabricated accusations to millions despite the falsity of the accusation,” the lawsuit states. “Defendants’ actions were willful and purposeful in order to maximize the reputational harm to Mr. Carter and induce Mr. Carter to pay them.”
JAY-Z’s Team: “This Must Stop”
JAY-Z’s attorneys say they aren’t taking this legal action lightly, but feel they have no choice. “Mr. Carter does not commence this action lightly,” they wrote. “But the extortion and abuse of Mr. Carter by Doe and her lawyers must stop.”
The lawsuit also claims Doe “voluntarily admitted” to JAY-Z’s team that he never assaulted her. Instead, it alleges she was pressured by her lawyer to file the accusations. “Doe has now voluntarily admitted directly to representatives of Mr. Carter that the story brought before the world in court and on global television was just that: a false, malicious story,” the suit continues. It also claims, “She has admitted that Mr. Carter did not assault her; and that indeed it was Buzbee himself … who pushed her to go forward with the false narrative of the assault by Mr. Carter in order to leverage a maximum payday.”
More Accusations Against Doe’s Lawyer
Beyond these allegations, JAY-Z’s lawsuit accuses Buzbee of threatening to retaliate if Doe’s supposed confession ever became public. The legal team claims Buzbee planned to accuse JAY-Z of harassing Doe and would say she dropped the case out of fear for her safety.
“Thus, the threats of extortion and further defamation continue to this day, necessitating that Mr. Carter take action to prevent unscrupulous actors from further preying on him,” JAY-Z’s lawyers wrote.
Buzbee Responds: Calls Case “Baloney”
Buzbee has strongly denied the lawsuit’s claims, telling Billboard that JAY-Z’s accusations are completely false. He also accused the rapper’s team of harassing Doe.
“This case is baloney and has no legal merit,” Buzbee said. “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.”
He added, “She won’t. Instead, she has stated repeatedly she stands by her claims. These same group of investigators have been caught on tape offering to pay people to sue me and my firm. This is just another attempt to intimidate and bully this poor woman that we will deal with in due course.”
The Background of the Case
Doe initially accused JAY-Z and fellow music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs of drugging and raping her when she was 13 at an afterparty following the 2000 MTV VMAs. JAY-Z denied the allegations from the start, and in mid-February 2025, Doe unexpectedly dropped her lawsuit.
