A woman who alleged she was sexually assaulted when she was 13 years old by Jay-Z and Sean “Diddy” Combs in 2000 has voluntarily withdrawn her lawsuit, according to a court document filed on Friday (February 14).
The suit was first filed back in December by Jane Doe, who alleged she was sexually assaulted by both artists at a VMA after-party.
The anonymous accuser filed papers later obtained by Rolling Stone informing the court that she was withdrawing her complaint with prejudice, meaning she could not file it again.
Attorneys for Combs – who was arrested and charged with crimes including sexual trafficking and racketeering last September and is currently in a federal jail awaiting trial – told the publication there was no settlement between the parties. Combs has consistently denied all allegations raised against him.
Roc Nation founder Jay-Z, born Shawn Carter, has continually denied the “heinous” accusation after Doe named him in an amended complaint in December, and had previously hit out at his accuser’s lawyer for “getting basic facts wrong”.
Last month, Carter filed a memo with additional arguments to dismiss the suit, having previously filed a motion to dismiss it, with his lawyers requesting a monetary sanction be placed on Texan attorney Tony Buzbee – the lawyer representing Jane Doe – alleging that he failed to adequately investigate the woman’s allegations before he filed the lawsuit.
Buzbee declined to comment on the dismissal, per Rolling Stone.
In a statement shared with NME today, the ‘Empire State Of Mind’ artist called the news a “victory.”
“The frivolous, fictitious and appalling allegations have been dismissed,” Carter said. “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. 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,” the statement continued. “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 continued: “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.”
Carter’s attorney Alex Spiro also shared a statement in the wake of the dismissal of the lawsuit, saying: “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.”
Previously, Spiro had cited an interview the woman gave to NBC News last year, in which she stood by her allegations, although she admitted to “some mistakes” in her account when it came to naming witnesses.
Carter’s legal team also pointed out what they consider impossibilities in the claims and argued that “the fact that nearly every step in Plaintiff’s narrative – from her arrival at the VMAs to her interactions with the limousine driver and celebrities to the ride with her father – turns out to be false or highly unlikely casts considerable doubt on Plaintiff’s allegation that Mr. Carter raped her, which he did not,” (via The Guardian).
Attorneys for Combs have also celebrated the news, and similarly referred to Buzbee as a “1-800 attorney”, saying: “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.”
Meanwhile, earlier this month it was reported that Diddy was expected to be hit with over 10 new civil lawsuits, according to a lawyer representing dozens of his alleged victims.
Prior to that, he was accused of threatening to eat the flesh of one of the contestants on his 2000s music competition show Making The Band.
For more help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
