Jay-Z takes legal action against woman who accused him of sexual assault

Music mogul Jay-Z, whose legal name is Shawn Carter, has filed a defamation lawsuit against an anonymous woman, identified only as "Jane Doe," who accused him of raping her when she was 13. The lawsuit, filed on Monday in federal court in the Southern District of Alabama, alleges the claims were "false" and intended for financial gain.

In the lawsuit, Jay-Z alleges that the accusations against him were part of a "malevolent effort" to destroy his hard-earned reputation both personally and professionally. The lawsuit also accuses Jane Doe and her attorneys of extortion, describing their actions as "soullessly motivated by greed."

This is not the first legal action involving the woman. She had also filed a lawsuit accusing both Jay-Z and rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs of sexually assaulting her at an MTV Video Music Awards after-party in 2000. Jay-Z has consistently denied the allegations, and that case was dismissed last month after Jane Doe voluntarily withdrew the lawsuit. According to the dismissal notice signed by her attorneys, the case was dropped.

Combs, facing over 40 sexual assault lawsuits and federal sex trafficking charges, has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody. In contrast, Jay-Z's lawsuit claims that Jane Doe admitted to his representatives that no assault occurred. Furthermore, it alleges that her lawyer, Tony Buzbee, coerced her into pursuing the allegations for a settlement.

Jane Doe's other attorney, David Fortney, did not immediately respond to the request for comment.

Jay-Z’s lawsuit highlights inconsistencies in Jane Doe’s claims, including her acknowledgment of discrepancies in a past NBC News interview. Jane Doe, however, maintains her allegations, stating she was pressured to retract them. Jay-Z has publicly called the accusations "laughable" but emphasized their toll on his family. He claims he never met Jane Doe and first learned of her identity in February.

In a statement through his entertainment company, Roc Nation, Carter remarked, "The trauma that my wife, my children, my loved ones, and I have endured can never be dismissed."