A lawyer for rapper Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, filed a motion on Monday urging a Manhattan federal court to dismiss a lawsuit unless the plaintiff, identified only as “Jane Doe,” reveals her identity. The case involves allegations that Jay-Z participated in a sexual assault against the plaintiff when she was 13.
The lawsuit, initially filed in October, accused Sean “Diddy” Combs of raping the plaintiff at a party after the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. On Sunday, the suit was amended to include Jay-Z as an alleged participant in the assault.
Jay-Z’s attorney, Alex Spiro, argued that the plaintiff’s anonymity is unjustified. In his filing, Spiro stated, “Her vague assertions of potential harm fall far short of the stringent requirements for anonymity in such cases.” He emphasized that Carter “deserves to know the identity of the person who is accusing him of criminal conduct,” describing the claims as “sensationalized” and “publicity-hunting.”
Spiro also defended Jay-Z’s reputation, stating that he has “never been accused of, let alone engaged in, any sexual misconduct.”
The lawyer highlighted that similar sexual misconduct lawsuits against Combs, who is currently in custody on unrelated sex trafficking charges, were also filed by attorney Tony Buzbee and failed to meet anonymity standards.
Jay-Z addressed the situation on social media Sunday, alleging that Buzbee had attempted to blackmail him with the claims. He stated that Buzbee’s demand for mediation was a calculated effort to force a settlement due to the public nature of the allegations.
In response, Buzbee accused Jay-Z of trying to “bully and harass” both him and the plaintiff. He maintained that his firm had sent a demand letter to Carter’s legal team on behalf of the alleged victim but that the victim had never sought financial compensation. “We will litigate the facts in court, not in the media,” Buzbee asserted.
The legal battle is poised to intensify, with both sides standing firm on their positions as the case unfolds.
