What Is Jay-Z Accused Of? Breaking Down the Lawsuit — and How It's Linked to Diddy

Mar. 15, 2025

Jay-Z attends the Los Angeles premiere of Sony Pictures' ‘The Book Of Clarence’ at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on Jan. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles.Photo:Monica Schipper/WireImage

Monica Schipper/WireImage

Jay-Zhas been named in a lawsuit connected toSean “Diddy” Combs, accusing him of child rape over two decades ago.

On Dec. 8, Jay-Z, whose legal name is Shawn Carter, was named alongside Combs as part of a federal lawsuit alleging that the two had raped a 13-year-old girl in 2000. The lawsuit was originally filed in October with only Combsnamed alongside “Celebrity A” and “Celebrity B,” but was amended to include the Roc Nation founder’s name as one of the alleged perpetrators.

In his response to the lawsuit via his entertainment company Roc Nation onX, Carter accused the plaintiff’s attorney,Tony Buzbee, of orchestrating “a blackmail attempt.” He claimed that Buzbee is leveraging the “public scrutiny” that would come with the nature of the allegations to pressure him into settling.

“These allegations are so heinous in naturethat I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one!!” Carter continued. “Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away, would you not agree?”

Here’s everything to know about the allegations against Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, including what’s next for the rapper.

What is Jay-Z accused of?

Shawn Carter, also known as Jay-Z, attends the 65th BFI London Film Festival at The Royal Festival Hall on Oct. 6, 2021 in London.Karwai Tang/WireImage

Karwai Tang/WireImage

The civil lawsuit says that a driver who claimed to work for Combs said that she “fit what Diddy was looking for” and invited her to an afterparty, where she was asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement. The lawsuit also outlines that Doe was offered a drink that made her feel “woozy, lightheaded and felt [like] she needed to lie down."

The plaintiff is seeking unspecified damages.

How has Jay-Z responded to the lawsuit?

Jay-Z attends the Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Ceremony for DJ Khaled on April 11, 2022, in Hollywood, Calif.Kevin Winter/Getty

Kevin Winter/Getty

In his statement on X, Carter denied the allegations against him and claimed that the lawsuit was a blackmail scheme from Doe’s attorney. However, the rapper said that it had the “opposite effect” of making him want to settle.

“It made me want to expose you for the fraud you are in a VERY public fashion. I will not give you ONE RED PENNY!!” Carter wrote, adding that his “only heartbreak” is for his family.

“I mourn yet another loss of innocence,” the statement continued. “Children should not have to endure such at their young age.”

Who is Tony Buzbee?

Houston attorney Tony Buzbee meets the press at the Stephen F. Austin Hotel in downtown Austin, Texas.Robert Daemmrich Photography Inc/Corbis via Getty

Robert Daemmrich Photography Inc/Corbis via Getty

Texas-based attorney Buzbee is representing the unnamed plaintiff, in addition to more than 100 people accusing Combs of misconduct. Buzbee is a high-profile lawyer who previously represented several women insexual misconduct cases against Cleveland Browns quarterbackDeshaun Watson.

Carter claimed in his statement on X that Buzbee has “a pattern of these types of theatrics.”

“I have no idea how you have come to be such a deplorable human Mr. Buzbee, but I promise you I have seen your kind many times over,” he wrote, adding Buzbee has “made a terrible error in judgement thinking that all ‘celebrities’ are the same.”

“I’m not from your world. I’m a young man who made it out of the project of Brooklyn,” Carter continued. “We protect children, you seem to exploit people for personal gain.”

Buzbee responded onXthat what Carter “fails to say in his recent statement” is that the victim “never demanded a penny from him,” but rather a “confidential mediation.”

He continued, “Since I sent the letter on her behalf, Mr. Carter has not only sued me, but he has tried to bully and harass me and this plaintiff.”

Has Beyoncé commented on the lawsuit?

Jay-Z and Beyoncé attend the 2015 Vanity Fair Oscar Party at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on Feb. 22, 2015, in Beverly Hills, Calif.Kevin Mazur/VF15/WireImage

Kevin Mazur/VF15/WireImage

Beyoncé, Carter’s wife, has not made any public statements regarding the lawsuit.

However, Carter included in his statement, “My wife andI will have to sit our children down, one of whom is at the age where her friends will surely see the press and ask questions about the nature of these claims, and explain the cruelty and the greed of people.”

What happens next for Jay-Z?

Rapper Jay-Z looks on before a game between the Washington Commanders and the Dallas Cowboys at Northwest Stadium on Nov. 24, 2024, in Landover, Md.Timothy Nwachukwu/Getty

Timothy Nwachukwu/Getty

Although a court date has not yet been set, Buzbee told PEOPLE in a statement, “The pleading speaks for itself. This is a very serious matter that will be litigated in court."

As for Combs, he was arrested in September 2024 and has since beendenied bail three times. He remains in a federal prison in Brooklyn on sex trafficking and racketeering charges, with a trial scheduled to begin in May 2025.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go torainn.org.

source: people.com