Jay-Z responds to dismissal of rape lawsuit against him and Sean Combs

‘Today is a victory,’ rapper said

Jay-Z has responded after a lawsuit accusing him and Sean “Diddy” Combs of rape was dismissed by the person who filed it.

An Alabama woman, who claimed she was assaulted by the rappers when she was 13, withdrew her civil lawsuit against both men on Friday (14 February) according to court filings.

In December, the unidentified woman added Jay-Z, legal name Shawn Carter, to a pre-existing lawsuit she filed against Combs, alleging she was attacked by the singers in 2000 after accepting a ride in Combs’ limo to an MTV Video Music Awards after-party.

In a statement to Entertainment Weekly, Jay-Z – who vehemently denied the claims and tried to get extracted from the lawsuit – said: “Today is a victory. The frivolous, fictitious and appalling allegations have been dismissed. This civil suit was without merit and never going anywhere.”

He continued: “The fictional tale they created was laughable, if not for the seriousness of the claims. I would not wish this experience on anyone.

“The trauma that my wife, my children, my loved ones and I have endured can never be dismissed.”

Carter’s statement also criticised one of the plaintiff’s lawyers, who has filed multiple other lawsuits against Combs.

Jay-Z has issued a statement after the lawsuit against him and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was dropped by the plaintiff (AP)

“This 1-800 lawyer gets to file a suit hiding behind Jane Doe, and when they quickly realize that the money grab is going to fail, they get to walk away with no repercussions. The system has failed,” he said.

“The court must protect victims, OF COURSE, while with the same ethical responsibility, 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.”

Alex Spiro, Carter's attorney, also shared a statement in the wake of the dismissal of the lawsuit that Tony Buzbee filed in December 2024, saying:

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

“The false case against Jay-Z, that never should have been brought, has been dismissed with prejudice. 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 1 red penny, he triumphed and cleared his name.”

Jay-Z called the claims ‘fictitious’ and ‘laughable’ (AP)

Meanwhile, lawyers for Combs said the dismissal of the lawsuit without a settlement confirmed that other lawsuits he is facing are built on falsehoods.

“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,” they said in a statement, adding that Combs “has never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone – man or woman, adult or minor.”

Combs remains jailed in New York awaiting a criminal trial on federal sex trafficking charges.