Sean “P. Diddy” Combs is facing various lawsuits, as he remains in jail ahead of his sex-trafficking trial in 2025. Much of these suits have been overseen by Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee, who previously claimed to have been representing around 120 clients with grievances against Combs. Now, another suit has been refiled by a Jane Doe who claims to have been raped by Combs and fellow rapper Jay-Z as a minor over two decades. Now, the latter Grammy winner is responding to the accusation.
The Jane Doe’s lawsuit was formally filed this past October in New York, though it was refiled on Sunday to include Jay-Z – whose real name is Shawn Carter – as a defendant alongside Diddy. Per the filing, the woman specifically claims that the two music artists raped her in 2000 when she was 13 years old. She asserts that the purported assault happened when she was being driven to a house party following the MTV Video Music Awards in New York.
Shawn Carter’s statement on the matter was shared with NBC News along with other outlets. The 55-year-old mogul and father of three vehemently denied the allegations, calling them “idiotic.” He also referred to them as being “heinous,” before asking that a change be made to the filing:
These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one!! Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away. These alleged victims would deserve real justice if that were the case.
Tony Buzzbee also wrote in the suit that Shawn Carter was approached before the filing in an attempt to broker a mediation session, though the “Run This Town” performer ultimately filed his own suit against his accuser’s legal team. Carter asserted that Buzzbee and co. “have made a terrible error in judgement thinking that all ‘celebrities’ are the same.” Carter sees this as a “blackmail” attempt, and Buzzbee (who's facing a suit as well) shared a response on X:
Regarding the Jay Z case and his efforts to silence my clients: Mr. Carter previously denied being the one who sued me and my firm. He filed his frivolous case under a pseudonym. What he fails to say in his recent statement is my firm sent his lawyer a demand letter on behalf of…December 9, 2024
According to the lawsuit, back in 2000, the Jane Doe was allegedly dropped off at Radio City Music Hall for the VMAs by a friend. Following several failed attempts to gain access to the show or an afterparty by talking to limousine drivers, one chauffeur – who allegedly worked fo P. Diddy – supposedly invited her to a party after saying that she “fit what Diddy was looking for.” Later that evening, the same driver reportedly picked her up and drove her to a house, where she signed what she thought was a non-disclosure agreement.
It’s later outlined in the legal docs that the young woman was allegedly offered a drink that made her feel “woozy, lightheaded and felt [like] she needed to lie down.” Sometime later both Sean Combs and Shawn Carter allegedly entered the room in which she was resting. From there, the plaintiff claims Carter removed her clothes, held her down and raped her, while Combs and an unnamed female celebrity watched, before Combs himself raped her. When responding to these accusations, Jay-Z also said the following:
My only heartbreak is for my family. My wife and I will have to sit our children down, one of whom is at the age where her friends will surely see the press and ask questions about the nature of these claims, and explain the cruelty and greed of people. I mourn yet another loss of innocence. … Only your network of conspiracy theorists, fake physics, will believe the idiotic claims you have levied against me that, if not for the seriousness surrounding harm to kids, would be laughable.
As for the unidentified woman, she says she was coerced into performing oral sex on Combs before leaving the premises and making her way to a gas station to call her father. She’s currently seeking unspecified damages. Diddy’s legal team previously responded to this suit involving the alleged rape of a 13-year-old and denied the claims.
Since 54-year-old Sean Combs’ arrest in September, he’s been behind bars at Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. In addition to the lawsuits, he’s facing charges such as alleged sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, racketeering, arson and more. These came down months after his homes were raided as part of a federal investigation. His trial is currently set to begin on May 5, 2025. Time will tell whether other lawsuits come down the pipeline or if they’ll include another high-profile star like Jay-Z.
