The music world is reeling after news broke on Sunday that a civil lawsuit had been filed against entertainment mogul Jay-Z, accusing him of raping a 13-year-old alongside fellow hip-hop star Sean Combs, aka Diddy.
In South Africa, Jay-Z’s name trended on X, formerly known as Twitter, since the news broke, and was the number one Google search in South Africa at about 2 pm on Monday afternoon by search volume.
It was a trend reflected across the world as the news that rap’s most successful icon could go down.
The original complaint did not initially name Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter. But the updated lawsuit filed Sunday dropped the bombshell that “Celebrity A” was, in fact, Jay-Z.
The complaint makes the explosive allegation that their pair repeatedly raped a minor at an afterparty following the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) back in September 2000. “Another celebrity stood by and watched as Combs and Carter took turns assaulting the minor. Many others were present at the after party but did nothing to stop the assault,” the complaint reads.
Following legal action against several big names in music of late, such as R Kelly and Combs, speculation has been rife that Jay-Z was next.
“Jay z was close friends with R. Kelly, diddy, and Harvey Weinstein now there’s suddenly no way he could be a predator??? LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOOO,” tweeted @ReeseMode after the news broke.
The mogul and his superstar wife, Beyoncé, are hyper-vigilant over their image and have fired up their lawyers over previous allegations against Jay-Z in media interviews.
Explosive responses and counter-responses
This time, Jay-Z issued an emotional and explosive response to the case, brought by Texas-based lawyer Tony Buzbee under New York’s Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act.
Within hours, the rapper issued a statement via his label, Roc Nation, slamming Buzbee and accusing him of a pattern of blackmail in these sorts of cases.
See the full statement below:
Within an hour, Buzbee issued his own response to Jay-Z via Twitter, noting that Jay-Z had attempted to silence the victim previously.
Details of the incident
As reported by BBC, the anonymous accuser claims she was assaulted at a house party after the 2000 VMAs in New York, where she says an unnamed female celebrity was also present. The accuser, referred to as “Jane Doe,” said that in 2000, when she was 13, a friend dropped her off at the VMAs at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan.
The filing claims that she approached limousine drivers outside the venue in an attempt to get into the event, and one of the drivers, who said he worked for Sean Combs (Diddy), told her she fit what Diddy was looking for. The driver later took her to a party at a house, where she was asked to sign what she believes was a non-disclosure agreement.
At the party, Jane Doe says she recognised several celebrities and noticed drug use happening around her. After being offered a drink by a waitress, she felt lightheaded and went to lie down in a room. According to the filing, Sean Combs and Jay-Z entered the room shortly after, accompanied by a female celebrity. The lawsuit claims that Combs approached her aggressively, telling her, “You are ready to party!” Afterwards, Jay-Z allegedly raped her, followed by Combs. The lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages, states that Jane Doe continues to struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression because of the alleged incidents.
Music’s #MeToo moment?
This is the latest in a series of similar cases brought against previously untouchable figures in the US music industry.
As we’ve told you before, Jay’s co-accused has experienced a major fall from grace as allegations against him mount. Combs was arrested on 16 September 2024 and charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Combs is a hip-hop artist and producer who founded Bad Boy Records, one of the most influential hip-hop labels in the world. The record label has had artists like Notorious B.I.G, French Montana and Faith Evans.
In the lead-up to his 16 September arrest, several new lawsuits were filed against him by other women and former collaborators, including a member of the Diddy-founded girl group Danity Kane, Dawn Richard. These lawsuits expanded on the allegations of sexual abuse, manipulation, and drug-fueled parties known as ‘Freak Offs’.
After his arrest, Combs was charged with a shocking list of offences, which included sex trafficking by force and coercion over decades. He was denied bail after judges felt that because of his influence and power, he could interfere with the investigation or threaten witnesses. He, of course, denies all the allegations.
Rumours circulate about a list of attendees of these alleged freak-offs, which is said to include some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry, but so far, no such list has been released to the public.
X, formerly known as Twitter, since the news broke, and was the number one Google search in South Africa at about 2pm on Monday afternoon by search volume.
