Jay-Z’s legal team has requested that a judge quickly remove the rapper from a lawsuit in which a woman claims she was sexually assaulted by Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs when she was 13 years old.
The woman recently added Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, to her lawsuit against Combs in a Manhattan federal court. She alleges that the two rappers assaulted her in 2000 after Combs’ limo driver offered her a ride to an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty.
In a filing submitted on Wednesday, Jay-Z’s lawyers referenced a recent NBC News interview in which the accuser admitted to inconsistencies in her account.
They pointed out that when questioned by NBC, she acknowledged mistakes, including uncertainty about identifying the people involved, unclear memories of key details, and even admitting to “guessing” on certain aspects, such as the time it took to reach the venue. Additionally, she revealed she has no corroborating witnesses over the past 24 years.
Jay-Z’s legal team argued that the accuser’s claims fall apart under scrutiny, citing factual inconsistencies and implausible details. They highlighted issues such as the absence of a Jumbotron at the venue, contrary to her account, and photos showing both Jay-Z and Combs at nightclubs after the award show, while she claimed they were at a nearby house.
The legal team emphasized that the lack of corroborating evidence and the timeline inconsistencies render her allegations unreliable.
Initially, the woman had only accused Combs of r*pe at the after-party but did not mention Jay-Z.
However, in a recent NBC interview, she recalled speaking with musicians Benji Madden and his brother at the party and said her father picked her up afterward. NBC later reported that the Maddens were on tour during the VMAs, and her father did not recall a five-hour drive home.
Jay-Z’s legal team asserts that this interview supports their claim that personal injury lawyer Tony Buzbee filed a false complaint against Jay-Z for financial gain and fame.
They also criticized Buzbee for severe legal misconduct, stating that he was forced to distance himself from the allegations in his initial filing. They accused Buzbee of a long history of abusing the legal process and disregarding ethical standards.
Buzbee, in response to the claims, denied the allegations and dismissed Jay-Z’s legal team’s statements as “reckless” and “false.” He called their filings “shrill and silly” and rejected the suggestion that he had a history of misconduct.
