Jay-Z denies allegations of assaulting minor, calls lawsuit 'blackmail attempt'

Rapper Jay-Z, born Sean Carter, has been accused in a civil lawsuit of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl alongside Sean "Diddy" Combs in 2000. The lawsuit, filed in a New York federal court by attorney Tony Buzbee on behalf of Jane Doe, alleges the incident occurred during an afterparty following the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. 

The plaintiff claims she was drugged and assaulted after being forced to sign a non-disclosure agreement. According to the lawsuit, the drink she was given made her feel "woozy" and "lightheaded."

The filing further alleges that another celebrity witnessed the incident but did not intervene. Jay-Z and Combs are accused of taking turns assaulting the minor while others at the party failed to act.

Jay-Z has strongly denied the accusations, dismissing them as a "blackmail attempt" and accusing the attorney of exploiting victims for personal gain. “This is a terrible error in judgment,” Carter stated. “We protect children; you seem to exploit people for personal gain. These claims are not just false but also absurd.”

The lawsuit is an updated version of a previous case that initially named only Combs, who has faced multiple allegations in recent months, including a federal indictment in September accusing him of operating a criminal enterprise for sexual exploitation.

Jay-Z has vowed to fight the allegations in court, refusing to settle and promising to expose the attorney’s actions publicly. The case is part of a growing wave of lawsuits involving high-profile figures under New York's recently expired Adult Survivors Act, which allowed survivors of sexual assault to file claims regardless of the statute of limitations.