Woman who accused Jay-Z and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs of raping her when she was 13 drops lawsuit
15 February 2025, 10:02
The woman who said she was raped by rappers and business moguls Jay-Z and Sean "Diddy" Combs in 2000, when she was 13, has dropped her civil lawsuit against both men.
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A federal court filing on Friday said the woman, referred to as Jane Doe to protect her identity, voluntarily withdrew the case with prejudice, which means she cannot bring it again.
Both Diddy - who is currently jailed in New York awaiting trial for multiple charges including sex trafficking - and Jay-Z have consistently denied the claims.
Jay-Z, real name Shawn Carter, quickly released a statement after the lawsuit was dismissed, in which he said: “Today is a victory.”
The billionaire rapper added: “The frivolous, fictitious and appalling allegations have been dismissed. 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,” he concluded.
The unidentified woman, from Alabama, had accused Jay-Z and Diddy of raping her after the MTV VMA awards in New York, in 2000.
The woman claimed that she was driven to a house party by a driver hired by Diddy, where she was allegedly given a drink that made her "woozy".
The suit then claimed that Jay-Z held her down while Diddy raped her. An unnamed female celebrity was also said to have held her down.
The court document submitted by the woman's lawyers announcing the voluntary dismissal of the case did not give a reason for why it was withdrawn.
Diddy still faces dozens of sexual assault lawsuits, many of which were filed by the plaintiff's lawyer, Tony Buzbee, a Texas attorney who says his firm represents over 150 men and women, who allege sexual abuse and exploitation by Combs.
The lawsuits allege many individuals were abused at parties hosted by Diddy in New York, California and Florida after receiving drug-laced drinks.
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".
When asked for a response, Mr Buzbee responded "no comment" in an email Friday night.
Statements from both rappers derisively referred to Mr Buzbee and his firm as the "1-800-lawyer", after he set up a hotline for people to make allegations against Diddy.
Jay-Z accused him of "hiding behind Jane Doe" for financial gain.
"When they quickly realise that the money grab is going to fail, they get to walk away with no repercussions," he wrote.
"The system has failed."
Jay-Z, who is married to Beyonce, with whom he has three children, previously said the claims amounted to blackmail, adding that he was heartbroken for his family.
Jay-Z and Combs are part of a generation of hip-hop titans who rose to prominence in the 2000s, emerging as wide-ranging entrepreneurs and two of the world's wealthiest rappers.
