A woman who claimed she was s*xually assaulted by Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and Sean “Diddy” Combs when she was 13 years old after the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards has been recorded stating that Jay-Z did not assault her. In the recording, she also mentioned that her attorney encouraged her to file a lawsuit against Jay-Z.
The woman’s lawsuit against both Jay-Z and Combs has since been withdrawn with prejudice, meaning it cannot be reinstated.
An excerpt of the recording, obtained by ABC News, features a conversation between the woman, identified as Jane Doe, and two private investigators linked to Carter. During the exchange, a private investigator asked, “He was just there, but he didn’t have anything to do with any s*xual acts towards you?” to which Jane Doe replied, “Yeah.”
Alex Spiro, Carter’s attorney, has stated that Jay-Z has never met Jane Doe.
In the recording, the woman expresses that her lawyer, Tony Buzbee, pressured her into suing Jay-Z. “He was the one that kind of pushed me towards going forward with him, with Jay-Z,” she stated, confirming the investigators’ question, “Buzbee did?” with a “Yeah.”
Buzbee has denied these claims, describing the assertion that he coerced her into suing Jay-Z as a “blatant lie.” He stated, “As far as the suggestion that I pushed Jane Doe to bring a case against Jay-Z — that is a blatant lie that contradicts all the documentary evidence.”
Spiro asserted that “the tape speaks for itself” and should eliminate any doubt regarding Jay-Z’s innocence. “She says in no uncertain terms Mr. Carter did not do this. It’s effectively a lie, and the only reason Mr. Carter is involved in this is that she was pushed to include him,” he told ABC News in an exclusive interview.
Jane Doe has since issued a sworn declaration reaffirming her allegations but stated she withdrew her lawsuit due to “fear of intimidation and retaliation” from Jay-Z and his fans. She further clarified that she never claimed Buzbee sought her out as a client or encouraged her to pursue a false claim, saying she felt “intimidated and terrified” after being confronted at her home by the investigators, who were aware of her name and address.
Spiro countered that the investigators did not coerce or threaten her, claiming, “She voluntarily met, spoke to them and she told them her truth, which was that under no circumstances did Mr. Carter do this.”
Jay-Z, one of the world’s best-selling artists with over 140 million albums sold, is married to Beyoncé, and they have three children together. Spiro articulated the emotional toll on the Carter family, stating, “It’s tough to hear a false accusation spread through the internet affecting your children. It’s hard on him and anyone involved. But what he does is prove his innocence. Today hopefully marks the final chapter, allowing them to move forward.”
Carter is now pursuing a defamation lawsuit against Jane Doe and Tony Buzbee, which they have denied. Spiro emphasized, “The truth has to fully come out. This individual cannot be allowed to hide from the reality that this was a false accusation.”
