Accuser withdraws rape lawsuit against Jay-Z and Diddy

Jay-Z calls dismissal a ‘victory’

Jay-Z, whose legal name is Shawn Carter, responded to the dismissal with a statement issued through Roc Nation, his entertainment company. “The frivolous, fictitious, and appalling allegations have been dismissed,” he wrote, as per BBC. “This civil suit was without merit and never going anywhere. The fictional tale they created was laughable, if not for the seriousness of the claims.”

The rapper, who is married to Beyoncé, also addressed the impact of the lawsuit on his personal life. “The trauma that my wife, my children, loved ones and I have endured can never be dismissed,” he said, reported BBC.

He further stated the need for legal protections for those falsely accused. “The courts must protect the innocent from being accused without a shred of evidence. May the truth prevail for all victims and those falsely accused equally.”

Attorney defends Jay-Z’s reputation

Jay-Z’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, also released a statement, stressing that the lawsuit should never have been filed in the first place. “By standing up in the face of heinous and false allegations, Jay has done what few can – he pushed back, he never settled, he never paid one red penny, he triumphed and cleared his name,” Spiro told the BBC.

Is the accuser credible?

Jane Doe initially filed the lawsuit against Combs in October, later amending it in December to include Jay-Z. She alleged that both men assaulted her after an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty in 2000.

Jay-Z consistently denied the claims and argued that his attorney had been targeted with an attempted “blackmail” scheme meant to pressure him into a settlement. Instead, he said, the attempt only motivated him to fight the allegations publicly.

In December, Jane Doe gave an interview where she admitted that “not all the facts are clear” and acknowledged, “I have made some mistakes. I may have made a mistake in identifying.”

Jay-Z formally requested the court to dismiss the case last month, citing contradictions in the accuser’s statements. United States District Judge Analisa Torres approved his request, officially bringing the case to an end.

Diddy’s legal battles

While Jay-Z is no longer facing legal trouble in this matter, Sean “Diddy” Combs is still entangled in multiple legal battles. He currently faces over three dozen civil lawsuits.

Following the lawsuit’s dismissal, Combs’ legal representatives released a statement maintaining his innocence. “For months, we have seen case after case filed by individuals hiding behind anonymity, pushed forward by an attorney more focused on media headlines than legal merit. Just like this claim, the others will fall apart because there is no truth to them,” the statement read.

It further added, “This is just the first of many that will not hold up in a court of law.”

Combs has been in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, since September 2024, facing federal charges related to racketeering and sex trafficking, as per BBC. He has been denied bail three times and remains in detention until his trial, scheduled for May 5.

(With inputs from BBC)